Zelda Mysteries
by ShizukaRakugaki44
Summary: Zelda, who's father is the current Premier (aka President) of Hyrule's democratic Republic, attends Castle Town High School with her childhood friend Link and hangs out with her other friends at Majora's Cafe. But when strange things begin happening around Hyrule, Zelda sets out to solve them being guided by dreams of the future and an unusual diary belonging to her ancestor.
1. 1st Entry: A Sign of Things to Come

**So here's another** ** _Legend of Zelda_** **fanfic but this time it's going to be set in a more modern version of Hyrule, taking place roughly 1000 years after the events in** ** _Breath of the Wild_** **. Now I noticed there aren't any mystery-type stories in** ** _LoZ_** **fanfics that take place in the modern world, but today I'm here to fix that! So without further ado, I present** ** _Zelda Mysteries_** **to you!**

1st Entry: A Sign of Things to Come

In an open field with long blades of grass, Zelda lay down beside a cluster of white flowers shaped like stars.

 _Silent Princesses_ , Zelda thought. _I haven't seen these in ages…_

While picking a flower, she noticed a small statue of a woman with wings right behind her.

 _What's a Goddess Statue doing out here?_ Zelda wondered.

Just then, the bright blue sky darkened as purple clouds rolled in with flashes of red in them. Surprised, Zelda stood up as a shape began to form in the clouds. Afraid of it, Zelda screamed causing her to wake up in bed. Breathing heavily, she noticed sunlight streaming in from a high window and then a person standing at the foot of her bed. It was a teenage boy with medium blond hair tied into a small ponytail, blue eyes, wearing a blue hoodie and tan-colored pants.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed, leaning back against her bedpost. "What are you doing here?"

Instead of answering, the youth pointed to Zelda's bedside table where a small clock shaped like the Clocktower in Termina stood telling her the time was 7:45 AM.

"Oh no," Zelda realized. "We're going to be late for school!"

Getting out of bed, Zelda went into her personal bathroom quickly brushing her teeth and combing her long blonde hair that was a lighter tinge than Link's. Afterwards, she went over to her wardrobe and found a light-blue peasant top with khaki capris and knee-length brown boots. While Zelda proceeded to change out of her plain white nightgown, Link politely stepped outside and waited. A few moments later, Zelda grabbed a shoulder-bag with a bird-shaped design on it and left the bedroom in a hurry. With Link trailing behind, the two of them ran along the walkway that connected the tower where Zelda's bedroom was to the main castle which lay at the center of a busy intersection of paved roads and smaller nearby buildings.

"I assume Father has already left?" When Link nodded, Zelda sighed.

Making her way through one of the many dining halls in the castle, Zelda spotted an apple on one of the trays that were being taken by the servants and grabbed it. While Zelda ate the apple quickly, Link steered her out the castle's main entrance where a blue-and-gold horse-shaped motorbike was parked. As Link got into the driver's seat, Zelda finished her apple and tossed it in a nearby trashcan before sitting behind Link. Once the two put on their helmets, Link revved up the engine and drove off with Zelda holding onto him.

###

Twenty minutes later, Link and Zelda arrived at a stone wall that surrounded a plateau behind it. There was a parking-lot in front where Link parked the bike that was protected by an energy barrier which could be opened with a Sheikah Slate Scanner. After doing this twice, the two made their way to the wall and had to pass two guards that were posted in front by showing them their Sheikah Slate IDs. Beyond the stone wall, there was a large courtyard with cobblestone walkways and smaller buildings arranged in a circular fashion. Near the plateau stood an old church, where a single voice was coming from.

"The Freshman Assembly must have started," Zelda figured, walking quickly toward the church. "Hopefully, I still have time to make that speech I promised to Principal Rauru."

As soon as they got to the church, Zelda and Link opened the doors which creaked in response. Inside, the church was dimly lit with sunlight from the eastern side shining through the stain-glass windows onto a short old man wearing an orange suit who stood on a raised platform addressing a large group of students.

"And now that all the announcements have been made, I would like to introduce Miss Zelda of Hyrule," the old man said, eyeing the crowd forcing Zelda to reluctantly wave as she made her way over to the platform. "Many of you may know her as the Premier's daughter, but she's also an excellent student and surprisingly humble given her position."

A steady wave of claps followed as Zelda got onto the platform while the old man stood aside.

"Um, hello," Zelda began, clearing her throat. "I just got here after sleeping through my alarm. We've all had those days, right?"

In response, a few students laughed.

"So, anyway, it's important to…" As Zelda drew a blank on what to say next, she noticed Link reaching into his one-strapped backpack which was shaped like a shield and pulled out several pieces of paper that had words written down. Reading them, Zelda continued, "To take your studies seriously and work hard to accomplish your dreams, without fear of what others may think of you. For instance, I'm aiming to become a Scholar which may sound boring but there's so much history that our land has to offer with new discoveries just waiting to be made! And on that note, I wish you all a great first year here at Castle Town High School. Thank you."

While Zelda took a bow, the students clapped louder just as a faint ringing sound echoed from outside the church.

"Excellent timing," the short man nodded.

"Your welcome, Principal Rauru," Zelda acknowledged and got off the platform.

Meawhile, the short man known as Principal Rauru addressed the students once more. "That is the bell to signal the First Period, so everyone please make your way out of the church in an orderly fashion. We don't want any accidents."

To be continued…


	2. 2nd Entry: Majora's Cafe

2nd Entry: Majora's Cafe

At the top of the Sheikah Tower near the plateau that was part of Castle Town High School, Zelda and Link stood awkwardly with five other students holding glider-shaped devices. Across from them, a short round-faced man with balding black hair adjusted his round glasses while next to him a tall human-like bird leaned against one of the tower posts that had blue-black feathers and piercing green eyes.

"Since you're all carrying Paragliders, I would assume you're in the right class," the balding man said, glancing at everyone sternly. "Otherwise, I'd be forced to expel you immediately. This class is for those who wish to learn Paragliding, which I take very seriously as part of my research. So to make sure you're doing it right, we have Revali of the Rito to help us."

As the balding man turned, the green-eyed bird stepped forward and looked down on the Hylians with a judgmental stare.

"Not a promising lot, I see," the green-eyed bird known as Revali stated bluntly. "But maybe some of you will surprise me."

It was then that Zelda glanced at Link, who was glaring angrily at Revali.

Ignoring Link's glare, Revali continued, "Being a natural-born flyer, I can tell you this: flying is an art! Never take it for granted, because some will naturally be better at it than others. Now, for your first flying lesson, let's have you glide over to…the Shrine of Resurrection over there."

Pointing with his right wing, the students looked past the church up near the top of the plateau where a cave was partially visible.

Not entirely satisfied, Zelda raised her hand much to the balding man's annoyance.

"Yes, Miss Zelda?" the balding man asked, hiding his irritation.

"Mister Branli, wouldn't it be easier for us to land on the Great Plateau instead?" Zelda suggested. "The Shrine of Resurrection is a bit hard to see from here, and some serious injuries might occur to the students who miss it on the first try."

"Then it's their problem, not mine," Revali huffed. "You guys did sign waivers before entering this class, right?"

Reluctantly, everyone nodded including Link and Zelda.

"Therefore, whatever happens in this class is at your own risk," Revali confirmed and stretched his wings. "Now, after I've flown to it first I want you to follow my lead."

###

Though the students tried their best to follow Revali's example, he ended up criticizing all of them for doing it wrong especially Link even though he landed the closest to the Shrine of Resurrection while everyone else either landed too low or too high which was what happened to Zelda who ended up on top of the Great Plateau instead. So after Link helped her get down, the class was over and so the two made their way to the next one through the courtyard when another tall figure approached them. He was a little taller than Revali but with smooth silky skin that was white and red. His head was shaped like a shark's with a tail protruding from the back and when he smiled two rows of shark-like teeth were visible.

"Hey, Zelda!" the figure said politely. "I really liked your speech from this morning. It was very inspirational and well-spoken!"

"Thanks," Zelda nodded. "I appreciate the compliment."

Looking a little embarrassed, the fish-like figure held out his hand. "I'm not sure if you remember me, but…my name is Sidon, of the Zora."

While Link's eyes widened, Zelda took the fish-like figure's hand. "You're Mipha's little brother, aren't you?"

"Well, as you can see, I'm not so little anymore," Sidon replied, looking down at Zelda. "I was only a tadpole when we first met, so I wasn't sure if you remembered."

"Of course I do," Zelda responded. "You were awfully cute, referring to Link as your 'Big Brother' and always claiming you would someday be better at swimming than him."

While Link looked astray, Sidon glanced over at him.

"Still silent as ever," Sidon remarked. "But that's what makes you so cool!"

As the bell from earlier rang, Zelda told Sidon, "We should get going, but if you want to continue our conversation meet me and Link at Majora's Cafe after school."

"Okay, sounds good!" Sidon said enthusiastically. "And where is that?"

"Ask Mipha," Zelda answered. "She'll tell you."

###

When the final bell rang, Link and Zelda walked past the walls that surrounded Castle Town entered the parking lot and rode Link's motorbike out of it. They drove to the eastern part of Hyrule where they parked in front of a small building shaped like a tent that had a heart-shaped mask over the entrance. Next to them was parked a similar motorbike, only this one was entirely gold-colored instead of blue with a sidecar shaped a walrus.

"Riju's already here," Zelda figured as she got off the back of Link's bike. "So Buliara won't be too far behind."

"Indeed."

Startled, Zelda looked behind her and saw two women. One was tall and muscular, while the other was tall and skinny. They both had long red hair, tan skin, and long noses.

"Don't scare me like that, Buliara," Zelda insisted, catching her breath.

"My apologies," said the tall female. "I was merely responding to what you were saying."

Sighing, Zelda turned to the shorter girl and asked, "How long have you been waiting, Riju?"

"Oh, not too long," replied the shorter girl. "I did a little shopping across the street to pass the time, but I'm short on Rupees so do you think you could treat me to an Ikana Valley Smoothie? Just for today?"

Reluctantly, Zelda agreed and the four of them entered Majora's Cafe. Inside, the place was dimly lit with several tables and chairs arranged around a circular area with various masks displayed on the walls around them. There was a counter near the back where a tall ginger-haired man stood wearing a purple robe with a constant grin on his face. Then to the right was an open stage where a group of Hylian musicians were playing various instruments. While Buliara stood near the entrance, the other three walked up towards the counter looking at the menu items that were listed above the man's head. Once they ordered what they wanted, Link noticed something and pinched Zelda's shoulder.

"What?" When Zelda looked at where Link was pointing, she urged Riju to follow her and Link.

To be continued…


	3. 3rd Entry: The Mysterious Diary

3rd Entry: The Mysterious Diary

In a booth to the left of the counter, Zelda noticed a lone figure sitting there who resembled Sidon but was shorter in height with noticeable breasts that were small in size. Also, her head was porpoise-shaped instead of shark-like.

"Mipha!" Zelda waved, getting the figure's attention.

In response, she stopped drinking the blue-colored smoothie she was clearly enjoying and waved back. So Zelda, Link, and Riju walked over to the booth.

"Sorry to startle you," Zelda apologized, sitting down next to Mipha while Riju and Link sat opposite of them.

"Oh, no, I should be the one apologizing," Mipha murmured shyly. "I showed up earlier than usual and decided to order something before you—

"There's no need to apologize for that," Riju interrupted. "You don't have to wait for us to have a smoothie if you really wanted one."

Before Mipha could respond, Sidon walked in through the entrance of Majora's Cafe with someone Zelda didn't recognize. He was large and chubby, with a short mohawk of wavy light-blond hair on top of his mostly bald head and beady little eyes.

"Sidon," Zelda addressed, meeting the two near the entrance. "Glad you could make it."

"Same here," Sidon replied as he and the other creature followed Zelda to the booth. "Seems you made it here before I did."

"It wasn't my intention in the first place," Mipha replied, and stared at the big guy behind Sidon. "And who are you?"

"He's my new friend!" Sidon claimed, though he corrected himself. "Well, at least we have the same classes together. But we did have a few conversations, so I think we're friends, right?"

"I-I guess so," the big guy murmured, looking down at the floor in embarrassment.

"Why don't you introduce yourself?" Sidon encouraged. "You'll feel better if you did that!"

As everyone stared at the big guy, he stuttered, "M-My name is…Yunobo, of the Gorons."

"Are you related to the Goron Province Leader Daruk, by chance?" Riju asked.

Looking surprised, Yunobo nodded. "He's my Dad."

"My grandmother is Lady Urbosa, the Province Leader of the Gerudos," Riju explained. "And she meets with your father sometimes, so I noticed you sort of resembled him."

"I think our dad has met with yours too," Sidon added, pointing to himself and Mipha. "You might know him as King Dorephan, the Zora Province Leader, and he likes to talk about Daruk's awesomeness as a warrior."

"Well, he is pretty awesome," Yunobo admitted, though there was a hint of envy in his tone.

Then the tall ginger-haired man behind the counter announced the drinks Zelda had ordered previously. So while she got up and went to get them, Sidon and Yunobo decided what they wanted with Sidon offering to pay for both of them. Once they ordered their respective drinks, Zelda took two chairs from an adjoining table allowing Sidon and Yunobo to sit down. But Yunobo's chair broke due to his enormous weight, causing him to crouch on the floor.

"It's okay," Zelda assured, putting a hand on Yunobo's shoulder which had a surprisingly rocky texture. "I'll see if there are chairs more suitable for a Goron."

As she approached the man behind the counter, who frowned when he noticed the broken chair, Zelda offered to pay for it if he could find something that a Goron could sit in. While this exchange was going on, Riju began sipping the Ikana Valley Smoothie she got which was mocha-colored with stripes of caramel and honey in it.

"So what made you decide to attend Castle Town?" Riju asked Yunobo. "Doesn't the Goron Province have its own school?"

"It does, but my Dad…w-wanted me to…interact with others, that weren't like me," Yunobo answered, trying to put the broken chair back together.

"I can see the reason behind that," Riju said thoughtfully. "In this democratic society, it's important to be able to interact with others that are different than yourself."

"Yeah, that's true," Yunobo agreed, and sighed when the chair fell apart again.

"By the way, who is that Rito over there?" Sidon wondered, glancing at a bird that was similar to Revali only his feathers were white instead of black sitting at a table all by himself near the Hylian musicians.

"Oh, that's Teba," Zelda explained, after she got back from talking to the man behind the counter. "He usually keeps to himself, though I've encouraged Link to befriend him."

"And how's that working out?" When Sidon turned to Link, he shrugged in response.

"It's…a work in progress," Zelda admitted. "Back when I was a Freshman, he was really good friends with Revali whom he looked up to as an idol. But now that Revali's become a huge jerk, Teba has distanced himself from everyone to avoid getting hurt again. At least, that's what he told me before we stopped communicating altogether."

Just then, the drinks Sidon and Yunobo ordered came up so they left to get them. The man behind the counter also provided a detached metal stool to replace Yunobo's chair. Adjusting it to fit his height, Yunobo attempted to sit on it. Surprisingly, the metal stool supported him as he sipped his Hot Spring Water in comfort. As for Sidon, he ordered the same drink Mipha had which was called the Great Bay Smoothie after the main body of water in Termina (hence its blue color). Link, on the other hand, didn't order a smoothie but a cup of Deku Nut Tea instead. As for Zelda's smoothie, it was purple in color with a myriad of different-flavored syrups known as the Majora Special.

As everyone sipped their drinks in silence, Zelda decided to exchange slate-numbers with Sidon and Yunobo. Removing her Sheikah Slate from her shoulder bag, she passed it around to them as they entered their contact information. After this was done, Sidon passed the Sheikah Slate back to Zelda who put it back in her bag. But something caught her eye and she pulled out a large blue book with gold-colored edges and three triangles on the cover.

"What is that?" Mipha asked, while Zelda stared at the book quizzically.

"I'm not sure," Zelda answered. "I don't recall putting this book in my bag, nor owning it for that matter."

"Maybe someone put it in there by accident," Mipha suggested.

Opening the cover, Zelda saw a blank page. Then after flipping through all the pages, it was revealed there was nothing written inside. Suddenly, there was a flash of light which blinded Zelda briefly.

"Is there something wrong?" Mipha said, looking at Zelda who was rubbing her eyes.

"It's nothing," Zelda claimed, then she resumed looking through the book again.

This time, there was something written on the title page.

"'This Diary belongs to: Zelda,'" Zelda recited quietly.

"Where does it say that?" Mipha looked over Zelda's shoulder and seemed puzzled.

"Right here," Zelda said as she pointed to the words.

Mipha shook her head. "I don't see anything."

"It's right here!" Zelda insisted, and showed it to the others. "You all see it, right?"

To Zelda's surprise, everyone except Link shook their heads.

"So you see the writing too?" When Link nodded, Zelda looked back at title page. "What in Hyrule is going on?"

To be continued…


	4. 4th Entry: Impa

4th Entry: Impa

That evening, Zelda pondered over the mysterious diary that had her name in it but sleep soon overcame her. She then dreamed about a young woman with long white hair running across a stone bridge as creatures of various shapes and sizes chased after her. After being cornered by them, the white-haired girl was saved by someone bearing a shining sword though Zelda couldn't see the savior's face.

The next morning, Link came into Zelda's bedroom expecting her to still be asleep but she was wide awake after the Clocktower clock chimed 7:00 AM. After Zelda got dressed, she and Link made their way into the main dining hall for breakfast though her father was absent again. So the two ate a quick meal of porridge and toast before heading off to Castle Town. There, Zelda went to the Music Room for her harp-playing lessons which alternated with Paragliding every other day. She not only took out a golden harp that had once been her mother's, but also the music sheet. Then out of curiosity, she took out the diary from her shoulder bag and flipped past the title page to discover an entire paragraph written in a style that was similar to hers.

"'Today I sent Impa away, for I fear he might come looking for me,'" Zelda recited to Link while they were having lunch together. "'Fortunately, I hid all the pieces away so the Triforce of Wisdom should be safe. I just hope the Hero can find them all and take back the Triforce of Power from him.' What do you think any of this means?"

In response, Link shrugged.

"That's reassuring," Zelda said sarcastically, flipping through the pages. "What kind of diary appears to be empty at a glance, only to reveal entries later on? On top of that, you and I are apparently the only ones who can see the text whereas other's can't. I wonder why that is…"

"Hey, Zelda!" Sidon called, approaching the tree Zelda and Link were sitting under. "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing much," Zelda lied, putting the diary away. "How are things on your end?"

"Pretty good," Sidon replied. "I think Yunobo's opening up to me more, because today he told me about how envious he is of his Dad."

This surprised Zelda. "Why should he envy his own father?"

"Well, Daruk's kind of a big deal," Sidon explained. "I mean, he's not only the Leader of the entire Goron race but also has a reputation of being a mighty warrior. So Yunobo feels he needs to live up to him, but doesn't feel confident in himself."

"Then try encouraging him to—

Just then, the bell rang forcing Sidon to leave along with Link and Zelda.

###

After school, Zelda received a call from her father on the Sheikah Slate telling her to head straight home instead of to Majora's Cafe. When she asked about it, her father merely said that the astronomers were predicting a Blood Moon.

"That's not good," Riju responded after Zelda told her why she couldn't come to Majora's Cafe. "My grandmother just told me to head home straight away too."

"Does she believe the dead come back to life when a Blood Moon rises?" Zelda asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Riju sighed. "Even though no sightings have been reported."

"True, though my mother strongly believed the Blood Moon signified bad luck and so my father makes me head home early when these things happen."

"I suppose that makes sense," Mipha added, shivering slightly. "Personally, I've always found the Blood Moon to be unnerving."

"Same here," added Zelda, then she followed Link to the motorbike. "I'll see you two later."

As Riju and Mipha waved back, Zelda suddenly remembered seeing a red-colored moon in her dream. When she told this to Link, he seemed indifferent and rode off towards Hyrule Castle. Once they were there, the two encountered an imposing figure with dark tan skin and a long white beard.

"Father," Zelda said, approaching the tall masculine figure.

"What is it?" The masculine figure turned to face Zelda, revealing that he was wearing a plain brown suit.

Before Zelda could answer, a man wearing a full body of armor came charging through the castle's front entrance and then he knelt before Zelda's father.

"Rhoam, Premier of Hyrule, I just received word that the Dueling Peaks Sheikah Tower is non-operational at the moment."

"Non-operational?" The figure known as Rhoam lifted an eyebrow. "What about Hateno?"

"They're still working, but they haven't been able to get a signal to Dueling Peaks or anything from them for that matter."

Frowning deeply, Rhoam stated, "Send some men to investigate the situation. We must be sure the Sheikah of Kakariko Village are safe, including Impa."

Hearing that name, Zelda attempted to ask her father who Impa was but he immediately left the foyer area along with the armored man.

###

When she tried to look up Impa on the Hyrule Network, which was powered by all the Sheikah Towers scattered throughout the land, all Zelda could find was a name and nothing else. So she looked through the various books in her room and came across the _Hyrule Historia_. Flipping through it, she came across a significant passage.

"So according to this, Impa was an elderly Sheikah woman who lived in Kakariko Village 1000 years ago that restored the memories of the Hero who saved Hyrule from the Great Calamity," Zelda paraphrased to Link. "Now I'm not sure if the person father mentioned is the same Impa as this one, but she must be a descendant of hers. Therefore, we must go to Kakariko Village and see about talking to Impa in person. Maybe she can make sense of this diary, or what it means at the very least."

Nodding in agreement, Link left to prepare the motorbike while Zelda grabbed a physical map of the Dueling Peaks area her Sheikah Slate the Diary and a Royal Bow with a quiver of arrows for protection. Putting these things in her shoulder bag except for the Bow, she placed a sign over her bedroom door that said, "Do Not Disturb" and sneaked around the castle till she found Link parked near the side entrance to the castle. Hopping on the bike, the two drove off towards the western mountains just as the sun was starting to set.

To be continued…


	5. 5th Entry: Night of the Blood Moon

5th Entry: Night of the Blood Moon

By the time the sun had set on the western horizon, Link and Zelda had arrived at the Dueling Peaks Sheikah Tower which stood next to a river that cut through the valley with a stone bridge crossing over the river to the two mountains beyond.

 _This looks like the place from my dream_ , Zelda thought as she got off Link's bike which had the name 'Epona' on the side to indicate the particular model.

But what struck Zelda as more odd than the strange coincidence of her dream matching up to this area was the lack of Guards like the armored man who spoke to her father Rhoam. Using her Sheikah Slate's camera function, Zelda zoomed in on the Sheikah Tower's ladder and top. Just then, a stone flew past Zelda's head causing her to look towards the river. There, a large octopus had surfaced with a rock in its mouth which it then proceeded to spit out aiming it at her. Fortunately, Link interceded by using a Knight's Shield which he brought with him to block the stone sending it back toward the octopus who was hit and forced to submerge.

"That Octorok didn't look too happy to see us," Zelda noted, but saw the creature emerge from the water once more. "Or maybe it's still mad."

While Link pushed Zelda to the side to block the next boulder, she ran towards the Sheikah Tower and was able to reach the ladder. Not looking back, Zelda climbed all the way to the top where she noticed a blue stone hanging down from above with several markings on it including the signature Sheikah Eye.

"Well, no wonder Hateno wasn't getting any signals," Zelda murmured, approaching a blue slab that was below the hanging stone. "This thing's been turned off somehow."

After placing her Sheikah Slate onto the slab, the hanging stone lit up and a small drop of blue liquid fell onto the Slate. Then the tower's arm-like sides which were down before now moved upward causing the rest of the tower to turn from orange to blue. When this happened, Zelda noticed Link standing behind her.

"Sorry I left you back there," Zelda apologized. "But I take it you took care of the Octorok?"

As Link nodded, Zelda looked to the East and suddenly felt frightened. A crimson red moon was rising as ominous purple clouds started to gather. Rising higher, the moon caused the purple clouds to turn red and then fiery embers seemed to appear in the air and on the ground.

"Curious," Zelda observed, trying to touch one of the embers from the edge of the tower.

She nearly fell off, but Link caught her in time.

"I've never seen this happen during a Blood Moon," Zelda said after a pause. "There has to be something in the air that—

Before Zelda could finish her thought, an ear-piercing scream caught her attention. Looking toward the mountains, she noticed several figures running across the bridge. While one figure was small and slender, the others were stout-looking or incredibly tall.

"The stumpy things are Bokoblins," Zelda realized, using her camera to zoom in on the scene. "And those taller creatures are Moblins, and…that's her!"

While Link looked confused, Zelda reluctantly told him about her dream with the girl and the Blood Moon in it.

"We've got to do something," Zelda murmured, looking back at the girl as the creatures started to gain on her. "She won't be able to run much longer."

Without hesitation, Link pulled out his Paraglider which he used yesterday and leaped off the Sheikah Tower holding it above his head. Irritated, Zelda regretted not bringing her own Paraglider and so she was forced to climb down the ladder.

###

By the time Zelda got to the bridge, most of the Bokoblins and Moblins had been slain with the few who remained retreating in the direction of the Dueling Peaks. Seeing Link wielding a Knight's Sword stained with blood, Zelda's attention then turned to a young girl kneeling on the ground. She looked to be about the same age as Zelda, and was panting heavily.

"Are you all right?" Zelda asked, helping the girl to her feet.

In the crimson-colored moonlight, the girl was revealed to have long white hair with brown eyes and a Sheikah Eye tattoo in the middle of her forehead. She wore a white robe with red trimmings, a blue top underneath, and matching white pants. Her hands were covered by blue fingerless gloves and her feet had knee-length sandals on them along with white socks.

"I-I'm fine," the girl claimed, catching her breath. "But the Guards…"

"The Guards?" Zelda's eyes widened. "Were they Hylian?"

"I think so," the girl nodded. "They were taken into the village by the Moblins."

"Do you know why?"

"I'm not sure. Some of them were muttering about the Guards getting too close to the tower."

"You mean that tower?" When Zelda pointed at the Dueling Peaks Sheikah Tower, the girl looked uncertain.

Noticing this, Zelda said, "What is your name?"

"Paya, of the Sheikah," the girl murmured.

"I'm Zelda of Hyrule, and that's Link of the Hylian Knights," Zelda replied, nodding towards Link as she spoke. "So where are you from?"

"Kakariko Village," Paya answered, frowning. "It's where me and my grandmother live."

"And who is your grandmother?"

"Impa."

Surprised by this, Zelda grabbed Paya's shoulders. "Did the Moblins and Bokoblins that chased you come from Kakariko Village too?"

"Yes."

"Do you know if your grandmother is somewhere safe?"

Hesitating, Paya said, "She was taken away by the Moblins as soon as I ran to get help."

Looking away, Paya started crying causing Zelda to let go. Meanwhile, Link was using a rag to clean the blood off his sword when he noticed something on the ground. Picking it up, the object turned out to be a small triangular object that seemed to glow a bright yellow color which outshone the moon's red light. As the fiery embers Zelda noticed before seem to go away, the triangular object seemed to levitate in Link's hand.

"What is that?" Zelda noticed the floating triangle, causing Paya to look as well.

"My grandmother called it a Triforce Shard," Paya explained, attempting to dry her eyes. "She said it's one of eight."

To be continued…


	6. 6th Entry: The Triforce

6th Entry: The Triforce

When the re-established signal from Dueling Peaks Sheikah Tower reached Hateno Village's Tower, it transferred to Hyrule Castle where all the signals from Hyrule's Sheikah Towers went. Once Rhoam noticed this, he ordered a company of Guards and himself to head for Dueling Peaks. By the time they got there, Zelda Link and Paya were standing at the Tower's base just as the Blood Moon ended. Though Rhoam was furious with Zelda and berated Link for not preventing her from going to Dueling Peaks, he listened to Paya's story about how a group of Moblins and Bokoblins invaded Kakariko Village the day before holding all the villagers hostage including herself and Impa.

"Do you know if they deactivated the Dueling Peaks Tower?" Rhoam asked Paya.

"No, sir," Paya shook her head. "They said someone called 'The Wizard' took care of that."

"Any idea who they were talking about?"

Paya looked down in embarrassment. "I do not."

Furrowing his brow, Rhoam turned to one of the Guards who had shiny red armor. "Captain!"

"Yes, Premier?" said the man with the shinier armor.

"Have your men deal with the situation in Kakariko Village," Rhoam ordered, walking back towards the large vehicle he rode in which was shaped like a red boat with a lion-like face on the front. "I'll escort these children back to Hyrule Castle myself."

"Are you sure?" the Captain asked. "I could spare some of my men to accompany you, and then call for reinforcements through the Dueling Peaks Tower."

"Then do that," Rhoam replied. "I want this handled swiftly and quietly."

While Link Zelda and Paya climbed into the boat-like vehicle with Rhoam, the Captain shouted several orders to his men.

###

The following morning, a weary Zelda and Link made their way to school while Paya was given separate living quarters in the Castle to stay in for the time-being. Sleepwalking through their classes, the teachers took notice and sent them to the Shrine of Resurrection which also served as the school's healing ward. After a being subjected to the Slumber of Restoration chamber for a few minutes, the two were more energized than before and were able to continue the rest of the day just fine. Instead of heading for Majora's Cafe, Rhoam ordered Link and Zelda to head back to the Castle straight away as they were being grounded for their actions the previous night.

Zelda was about to say something, but Link squeezed her shoulder so she stayed silent. Once Rhoam left to take care of other matters, they made their way to Paya's room. She was initially startled to see them, but frowned and stared at the stone floor.

"You're still worried about your grandmother, aren't you?" Zelda guessed, sitting next to Paya on the bed she sat on. "I'm sure the Guards will rescue her along with the others in Kakariko."

Paya sniffed. "Your father told me that while the Guards managed to drive out the remaining Moblins and Bokoblins from Kakariko, they couldn't find anyone named Impa."

"Oh, Goddess," Zelda murmured.

While Zelda stayed to comfort Paya, Link left the room and stood outside.

###

That weekend, Zelda was busy doing homework while Link had decided to sneak off to Dueling Peaks to look for Impa. Naturally, Rhoam found out and send some Guards to bring back Link. As for Paya, she was allowed to stay in the castle for as long as she desired since no other relatives of hers existed.

"If it's any comfort, I lost a relative as well," Zelda told Paya, who was sitting in her room. "My mother died ten years ago, from an unknown illness. She was not only my closest friend, but also my teacher. After that, Father grew more bitter and distant which is why he works so much. Fortunately, I have Link to fill the void left by my mother's absence."

"He's not related to you, is he?" Paya asked.

Zelda shook her head. "His uncle was one of the Hylian Knights who served my father. Then when he died under mysterious circumstances, my father took pity on Link and had him live with us. He's hoping to become a Knight, just like his uncle, though he has been my personal protector since last year after going through Knight Academy Bootcamp."

"And what's that?"

"It's a basic training course for would-be Knights, who are higher in rank than Guards, making it notoriously harder than Guard Training."

"I see."

After Paya didn't say anything else, Zelda went back to studying the Triforce Shard using various scientific instruments she had in her room. Yet no matter what methods she used, the Triforce Shard's material couldn't be determined nor could Zelda replicate its apparent ability to levitate which stopped as soon as the Blood Moon was over.

"So where did you get this Triforce Shard?" Zelda asked, turning to face Paya.

"It appeared in our house one day," Paya answered. "Then after my grandmother touched it, she told me there were eight others scattered throughout Hyrule that must be found before 'he' can get ahold of them."

"Who's 'he'?"

"She didn't specify. Then when the Moblins and Bokoblins took over our village, she sent me away to get help and to take the Shard with me."

"Did she say where the Triforce Shard came from or why it's so important?"

"All she said was the Triforce Shard and the others came from a place called the Sacred Realm, where a relic called the Triforce resides."

"Is that what these Shards are a part of?"

"I think so. She told me that long ago, there were violent wars among those who wanted the Triforce which had the power to grant whoever touched it any wish."

"If that were true, then I've certainly never heard of it."

To prove her point, Zelda consulted the _Hyrule Historia_ and found no information regarding the Triforce or this Sacred Realm it originated from. This confused Paya, who claimed Impa told her these things after touching the Triforce Shard which intrigued Zelda. But when she touched it with her bare hand, nothing happened.

"Maybe there's some way to access the Sacred Realm," Zelda figured. "And these Triforce Shards are the key to getting there."

Paya shifted slightly. "My grandmother did mention there was once a temple that could directly access the Sacred Realm, but she advised me not to go looking for it."

"How come?"

"She said…something terrible happened, but wouldn't go into detail about it."

"And she didn't say where this temple was located?"

When Paya shook her head, Zelda sighed and went back to studying the Triforce Shard.

To be continued…


	7. 7th Entry: Crimson Robe

7th Entry: Crimson Robe

After Link was found by Rhoam's Guards, he was brought back to Hyrule Castle and detained in his room. Zelda was allowed to visit him, though, along with Paya.

"So did you find Impa?" Zelda asked.

Link shook his head.

"Not even traces of her body?"

Again, Link shook his head which made Paya frown.

"Then my grandmother really is gone," Paya decided, fighting the urge to not cry again.

From a hidden pocket in his hoodie jacket, Link pulled out two triangular objects that looked exactly like the Triforce Shard.

"Where did you find these?" Zelda said, taking the objects from Link's hand.

In response, Link used his hands to pantomime a mound-shaped object.

"The Shrines?"

As Link nodded a third time, Zelda looked down at the two objects in disbelief. "But…no one has been able to get into those Shrines, except for the Shrine of Resurrection."

"Maybe it's the will of the Goddess," Paya suggested, causing Zelda to glance at her.

"That can't be the only answer," Zelda argued, putting the two triangles in her pants' pockets. "There's got to be a rational explanation for it."

Leaving Link, Zelda asked her father about Link's Shiekah Slate which had been confiscated according to one of the Guards from the search party. Rhoam said he would give it back in due time, forcing her to head back to her own room in frustration. She then placed the two triangular objects next to the one she was previously studying and watched in amazement as the three pieces suddenly fused together into one larger triangle with a triangular hole in the middle.

"This is amazing," Zelda noted, using her Sheikah Slate to scan the newly formed triangle. "The two pieces Link found appear to be made from the same material as the Triforce Shard, meaning they must be Triforce Shards as well, though I'm not sure what caused them to suddenly merge."

###

Later that night, Zelda was unable to sleep and so she took the diary out from beneath her bottom pillow. Looking back at the entry regarding the Triforce of Wisdom and Impa, she flipped back to the cover with the three triangles on it and an idea suddenly formed in her head.

"Perhaps _this_ is the Triforce," Zelda figured, looking between the diary cover and the larger triangle on her workbench. "It not only refers to the actual relic, but also each individual triangle inside of it. So if there are eight Shards total, then they must form the Triforce of Wisdom and Power mentioned in the diary. So what does the third one represent, then?"

As Zelda pondered over this, she put the diary away and fell asleep. She dreamed of her father sitting on a throne, which looked oddly similar to the chair he sat in during meetings with the Province Leaders, when a man suddenly appeared behind him. He wore a crimson robe that covered him from head to toe, with a long purple nose sticking out and his eyes were a sickly yellow color. From the folds of his robe, the man pulled out a hidden knife and slit Rhoam's throat causing Zelda to scream which woke her up. Breathing heavily, she looked at her bedside table and saw the Clocktower alarm clock glowing as it usually did after absorbing enough sunlight and noticed that the time was 4:00 AM.

###

The following morning, Link came in to wake Zelda up as she had apparently slept through her alarm again. Rushing to get to school caused Zelda's memories of the dream to fade, although she remembered the man in red.

"He kind of looked like Agahnim," Zelda recalled, and noticed Link's brow furrow. "I know you don't like him, and neither do I frankly, but he is my father's advisor. Yet he appeared right before my mother died, and has become reclusive since your uncle passed away."

But as the school day continued, Zelda had a feeling of uneasiness that seemed to grow with each passing moment.

"Is something wrong?" Mipha asked Zelda while the two were attending a Swimming class located at a lake below a waterfall near the church. "You seem…troubled."

"It's not a big deal," Zelda assured, practicing her strokes. "I've just been having these unusual dreams as of late, and I still don't know what that diary I found is all about."

"In terms of why it shows writing that only you and Link can read while the rest of us can't?"

Nodding, Zelda swam to a rock in the middle of the lake while Mipha followed. Being a Zora, Mipha was able to use the fins around her waist to glide through the water easily beating Zelda to the rock by a couple of minutes.

"Have you thought about getting your eyes checked by the school doctor?" Mipha suggested, climbing up onto the rock while Zelda did the same.

"I already did that, and my vision is perfectly fine," Zelda insisted. "And I know it's definitely not my diary despite having my name in it."

"How so?"

"Well, last week a passage appeared in the diary that I don't remember writing. Plus, it described things I didn't know until recently."

"Like what?"

Before Zelda could answer, the Swim coach who was a Hylian named Eryck blew a whistle that forced her and Mipha to swim back. While they were changing back into their regular clothes inside a cave near the waterfall which branched into two tunnels that served as makeshift locker-rooms for each gender of students, Zelda told Mipha about the Triforce Shards that Link found and went into more detail about the prophetic dreams.

"It sounds like you had a very…interesting weekend to say the least," Mipha said once Zelda was done explaining. "But what do these Triforce Shards have to do with these dreams you've been having?"

"I have a feeling they're connected somehow, but I'm not sure," Zelda replied, and left to join up with Link who had emerged from the locker-rooms as well as Mipha followed behind them.

To be continued…


	8. 8th Entry: Sealing Power

**Sorry for the incredibly long delay on this fanfic. I was not only caught up in writing other fanfics but also burned out from writing Zelda-related fanfics after doing** ** _Legend of Zelda: The Infinity Gauntlet_** **and its companion series** ** _Legend of Zelda: TriForce Shock_** **. Plus, I didn't exactly know what games I wanted to include in this fanfic let alone which direction to take the story into. But now that I have a better sense of these things, I'm ready to continue working on** ** _Zelda Mysteries_** **. Hope the wait was worth it!**

8th Entry: Sealing Power

Back at Hyrule Castle, Zelda and Link were surprised to see Paya with an escort of Guards.

"Where are you taking her, Captain?" Zelda asked.

"To Hateno Village, Zelda," the Captain of the Guards answered. "A relative of Paya's named Purah offered to take Paya into her care following Impa's recent disappearance."

"Purah?" Zelda exclaimed. "As in the director of the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab?"

"Yes, she's apparently my grandmother's older sister," Paya explained. "Though I didn't find out about this until earlier today when I received a message from her through the Hyrule Network."

Looking at Link, who seemed skeptical, Zelda said to the Captain, "May we come with Paya to Hateno Village, just to keep her company?"

"I was informed by Premier Rhoam that neither you nor Link are allowed to leave Hyrule Castle outside of going to school," replied the Captain.

"But Purah requested Link and Zelda to come with me," Paya said abruptly, causing everyone to look at her. "If you don't believe me, read the message for yourself."

So the Captain who spoke took out his Sheikah Slate and looked till he came across a copy of the message that Purah sent which was uploaded to his slate earlier. Looking through it, his eyebrow raised slightly. "Well, it does mention Zelda and Link by name. But unless Premier Rhoam permits them to leave, I cannot let them accompany us."

Gritting her teeth, Zelda stormed off and found her father in the meeting room talking with Agahnim who looked initially surprised to see her.

"Father, I request to accompany Paya to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab since its director Purah requested me and Link to come along," Zelda demanded before Rhoam got the chance to speak.

" _But surely you realize how unusual this request is, Zelda,_ " Agahnim said, his mouth covered up by a crimson-red cloth that matched his cap and robe. " _For all we know, it might be a trap set by the Moblins and Bokoblins who attacked Kakariko Village._ "

"Agahnim is right," Rhoam nodded. "Impa never mentioned having an older sister to me, and I know her very well due to our family's long connection with hers."

"Then how come you never mentioned Impa to me before?" Zelda questioned.

"Because it didn't seem important, especially in relation to the training that your mother wanted you to do," Rhoam responded.

"What training?"

Rhoam looked at Agahnim. "Would you mind leaving me with my daughter for a moment?"

" _Certainly, Premier,_ " Agahnim bowed and walked past Zelda out of the room.

"If you're familiar with the Hero and the Great Calamity, as you should be from your History lessons at school, you would know that the Princess our family is descended from possessed a special Sealing Power that allowed her to defeat the Great Calamity alongside the Hero," Rhoam explained. "The reason for this is that she was actually the physical embodiment of the Goddess Hylia, where our land gets its name from. Every generation, she reincarnates into the body of each female in our bloodline who all possess the same powers that allow her to seal away the Great Calamity in its many forms."

"Did my mother tell you all of this?"

In response, Rhoam nodded. "She would have told you these things herself, but her unexpected passing made me decide to keep this information a secret until you graduated from Castle Town High School. But in wake of the Dueling Peaks Sheikah Tower incident, I have decided that it's time to begin your training in unlocking the Sealing Power that you have. Starting this weekend, you will journey to the Spring of Wisdom once each month four times to cleanse your body in order to receive knowledge from the Goddess Nayru about how to unlock your Sealing Power."

Overwhelmed by this new information, Zelda couldn't speak.

Rhoam then stood up from his chair. "As for your request to accompany Paya to Hateno, I will explain to Purah that you and Link weren't able to come because you're currently being punished for your reckless behavior at the Dueling Peaks Sheikah Tower. You may be my daughter, Zelda, but you mustn't endanger yourself over matters that aren't your concern to begin with. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Father," Zelda mumbled and left the meeting room.

###

The following day, Zelda was surprised to see Paya arrive at school while Link seemed shocked as well.

"What are you doing here?" Zelda asked as she approached Paya.

"I'm an official Castle Town High School student," Paya smiled. "After I met Purah last night, she figured it would be best to send me here to learn more about the world since I've been isolated in Kakariko Village for most of my life."

"Was she disappointed that Link and I couldn't come?" Zelda inquired. "And why did she know us even though we've never met her?"

"She got the message from your father before I arrived, so she wasn't that disappointed when I told her," Paya said. "But she really wanted to talk to you two about something that Impa told her in a message she sent before Kakariko was attacked which also mentioned your names."

Zelda looked intrigued. "Did she say what it was?"

Paya looked at the Guards near the Castle Town entrance. "I shouldn't tell you here in case anyone listens. Is there someplace we can talk more privately around here?"

"There's the Great Plateau," Zelda suggested. "Hardly anyone goes up there due to how strenuous the climb is."

"All right," Paya agreed. "I'll meet you there at lunch."

To be continued…


	9. 9th Entry: Off to Lanayru

9th Entry: Off to Lanayru

Sitting at the top of the plateau that overlooked Castle Town, Paya watched as Zelda and Link caught up to her.

"You guys are slowpokes," Paya joked. "That climb was nowhere near as strenuous as getting to the Fairy Fountain back in Kakariko."

"Well, we're more athletic than most of the Hylians at this school," Zelda claimed as she sat down on the soft grass while Link sat to her right.

"If you say so," Paya smirked and sat next to Link. "Anyway, Purah told me that Impa isn't really gone."

"She isn't?" Zelda's eyes widened. "Then where is she?"

"According to the message Impa gave her before Kakariko was attacked, she said my grandmother knew someone would come looking for the Triforce Shard in order to begin piecing the Triforce together. But even if they didn't get the shard, they would take Impa instead."

"Why would they do that?"

"Purah said after Impa touched the Triforce Shard, she learned many things including that she was a 'Sage' or someone that could access the Sacred Realm at any given point."

"So you're saying the Moblins and Bokoblins that attacked your village were after the Triforce Shard, and they kidnapped Impa when they didn't find the shard?"

"Yes."

"Now I can understand going after the Triforce Shard, if it really does form a relic that can make anyone's wish come true, but why kidnap someone with the power to access the Sacred Realm?"

"Apparently Impa said that while the Triforce itself grants wishes, the power to do it actually comes from the Sacred Realm. So one has to be in the Sacred Realm with the Triforce in order to have one's wish granted. Therefore—

"If you had someone who could access the Sacred Realm, then it will be easy to get to once the Triforce is formed," Zelda realized. "But you haven't said where Impa is now."

"Oh, Impa said that if someone did come looking for the Triforce Shard and they kidnapped her once I was sent away with the shard she would transport herself to the Sacred Realm to be safe."

"Then we need to get to the Sacred Realm in order to get your grandmother back," Zelda declared, and looked over at Link who nodded.

"We don't need to go that far, guys," Paya insisted. "If she thinks the Sacred Realm is safe, then I feel better knowing that she's somewhere rather than not knowing where she is. And Purah has agreed to keep me safe in case the creatures that attacked Kakariko come looking for me."

"All right, but I still think we should find a way to access the Sacred Realm before those creatures or whoever sent them figure out another way."

Just then, Zelda's shoulder-bag glowed causing her to reach inside and take out the diary. This time, another paragraph was added to the first one.

"'Even if the Hero manages to find all the necessary pieces to create the Triforce of Wisdom, there is still one more part of the Triforce he must find and that is Courage,'" Zelda recited while Paya and Link glanced over her shoulder. "'It will not only test his strength but also his wits, for crystals have to be obtained in order to unlock this one. But I pray for the Hero's success, and my father's life for I fear it is coming to an end.'"

"That doesn't sound good," Paya remarked nervously. "Especially that last part."

"Last night, I had a dream where my father died by the hand of someone that looked like the advisor Agahnim," Zelda revealed. "But now I'm certain that if I ignore this dream, it will come true and we can't let that happen. Link, I want you to keep a closer eye on Agahnim now that he's returned to the castle. Meanwhile, I'll watch my father closely to make sure no one tries to hurt him in my presence."

"And what should I do?" Paya asked.

"See if Impa's message specified about whether she was the only Sage or not. Because if there are others, they might be targeted too."

###

For the rest of the week, Zelda and Link behaved well enough to let Rhoam release them from being grounded. In that time, though, nothing unusual happened with either Agahnim or Rhoam. While there were several questionable moments, these wound up being false alarms. Then after Zelda returned from school on the fifth day of the week, she and Link were told to pack for the two-day journey to the Spring of Wisdom which was located in the Lanayru Province where the Zora lived.

"Maybe I'll get to visit Mipha and Sidon along the way," Zelda pondered once she appeared in the foyer area of Hyrule Castle with a full pack alongside Link.

"Unfortunately, you will not be going near the Lanayru Great Spring where Zora's Domain is." Rhoam informed Zelda and then he said to Link, "Instead, I want you to head straight east past Hyrule Field and West Necluda Province until you reach Mount Lanayru. Now an unusual report came in from the Lanayru Sheikah Tower claiming a large creature has been seen moving along the mountain, though they weren't able to identify what it was. If you see such a creature, do not engage it. Take my daughter to the Lanayru Shiekah Tower and wait there for either an armed escort from me or King Dorephan. Think you can follow that?"

Without hesitation, Link nodded.

"Good," Rhoam grinned slightly and placed his hand on Link's shoulder. "Despite your occasional recklessness, I think you will make a fine Knight someday like your uncle did."

While Link looked determined, Zelda glanced away to hide her envious stare.

"Hopefully, this report isn't real," Rhoam said as he placed his other hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Nevertheless, may your journey to the Spring of Wisdom be safe, my daughter."

"Thanks, Father," Zelda said politely.

After leaving Hyrule Castle, Link drove his bike with Zelda holding on out of the main hub of buildings towards a large field with distant mountains including a very prominent one that was capped with snow and thick clouds.

To be continued…


	10. 10th Entry: Malice

10th Entry: Malice

"I'm really worried about my father," Zelda confessed to Link as they decided to rest by the side of the road for the night. "With the two of us gone, someone might have the chance to kill him."

Link gave Zelda an uncertain look.

"And by someone, I mean Agahnim," Zelda corrected reluctantly. "I think the shock of the dream made me deny who I saw, but the more time I've had to think about it the more I've realized it was Agahnim who killed my father in the dream."

This made Link frown.

"Now whether he killed your uncle and my mother is debatable, though for some reason I wouldn't be surprised if he did," Zelda remarked and was surprised by what she said. "Maybe I'm just going crazy. How else do you explain why I can read the diary and no one else can?"

In response, Link shook his head and pointed at himself.

"Well, except for you," Zelda realized. "I guess we're both crazy, then."

While Zelda chuckled, Link shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sometime I wonder if you're too good for me, Link," Zelda muttered out loud causing Link to give her an odd stare. "Forget I said that. Good night…"

Then Zelda lay down on the blanket Link set up for her earlier and fell into a dreamless sleep.

###

Early the next morning, Link woke Zelda up and the two of them resumed riding down the road on Link's horse-shaped bike until they reached the foot of Mount Lanayru. Neither of them could barely see the top due to the thick clouds, so they assumed it was safe to climb. After putting on Snowquill Tunics that had been imported from the Rito Province, they each ate a Spicy Pepper to increase their body temperature before ascending the mountain itself.

Several hours later, they reached the summit of the mountain and beheld a large spring with a Goddess Statue in front of it. But what drew Link and Zelda's attention more was the enormous sleeping dragon that was curled around the very top of the mountain. Its body was made of black scales with purple crystalline spikes and red bulbous lumps. Then the lump on the dragon's forehead opened revealing it to be a giant eye with an orange reptilian pupil. Instinctively, Link drew out his Knight's Bow and shot the eye with an arrow. This caused the dragon to wake up and roar in anger as it took to the air.

"Link, what are you doing?" Zelda shouted as Link took out his Paraglider. "My father told you to not engage with the creature that was reported to be on this mountain, and I'm pretty sure that dragon is it!"

Then Link took to the air in his Paraglider before Zelda could stop him. She watched the dragon fly further down while Link followed it. Unsure of what to do, she looked around the spring and noticed a Shrine entrance behind the Goddess Statue. Approaching it, Zelda saw a stone slab that looked big enough to hold a Sheikah Slate. Taking hers out, she placed it on the slab which made the glowing stones around the Shrine's entrance turn from orange to blue.

Additionally, an opening was formed prompting Zelda to step inside. Suddenly a blue energy field appeared around her and the platform she was standing on moved downward. Once it stopped, she found herself inside a large chamber illuminated by blue crystals. The place was filled with water minus a stone pathway that led up to a raised platform with a glowing orange chest on top of it and an elderly figure inside a box-shaped energy field beyond that.

" ** _To you who sets foot in the shrine, I am Jitan Sa'mi,_** " said a voice that resonated from the back. " ** _Your arrival has been foretold to me, Zelda of Hyrule._** "

"How do you know my name?" Zelda asked.

" ** _Many years ago, a voice from the Sacred Realm compelled me and several others to take up residence in the shrines of our forefathers, waiting for either the Hero or the Princess to arrive,_** " Jitan explained. " ** _By doing this, we could protect the pieces of the Triforce that had manifested in Hyrule once more. Though not all of the shrines could keep out the evil that has appeared in this land, thus allowing the Triforce of Power to be completed by the leader of this evil._** "

"Is the leader of this evil Agahnim?"

" ** _He is merely a pawn to the greater Malice that is spreading, which you have the power to stop. Now take the Triforce Shard that is here, and may the Hero succeed in saving the poor creature outside._** "

"Wait, what do you mean?"

As the elderly figure vanished, the energy barrier around him shattered. So Zelda stepped forward on the walkway and climbed the stairs up to the raised platform and opened the chest after removing her thick gloves. Inside was a small yellow triangle that looked exactly like the other Triforce Shards. Fortunately, Zelda brought them with her in case they were stolen and pulled the fused three triangular pieces out of her pouch that resembled the Triforce symbol on the diary. Before she had the chance to examine the singular Triforce Shard, it fused to the other three forming a whole triangle that hovered in the air glowing brightly.

Then to Zelda's amazement, the triangle fused with her right hand. Immediately, the Triforce symbol appeared on her hand with the left triangle highlighted. The chamber suddenly shook, forcing Zelda to not linger on her hand as she put her gloves back on and left the shrine. Outside, she noticed Link looking exhausted with his Paraglider by his feet while the dragon appeared to be tired as well as it rested upon the mountain once more with no eye-like lumps on it. Its black scales had changed to white while its purple crystalline spikes were now a light blue color and its real eyes had gone from purple to orange.

To be continued…


	11. 11th Entry: Wisdom and Courage

**Now I know the Spirit Dragons in _Breath of the Wild_ don't talk, but I thought it would be interesting if they did for my story. Besides, if the Three Dragons in _Skyward Sword_ could talk then why not the ones in _Breath of the Wild_?**

11th Entry: Wisdom and Courage

"What's going on?" Zelda asked as she trudged though the spring over to Link. "And why did you attack that dragon?"

Link made a talking motion with his hand and pointed to his head.

"A voice…told you to do it?" Zelda blinked. "But why?"

" _Because I was corrupted by Malice,_ " said a female voice that seemed to be coming from the dragon. " _I am Naydra, one of the three Spirit Dragons that inhabit Hyrule. Normally, I fly freely with my sister dragons but then a Wizard in red robes bound me to this mountain with the intention of having me guard the Jitan Sa'mi Shrine. But for me to be truly free you must finish me off, Hero. If you do this, I will grant a reward that will purify the Spring of Wisdom for the Princess to bathe in._ "

Reluctantly, Link took the last arrow from his quiver and fired it at Naydra's real eye. She screamed in pain as she flew off, but then something glimmering fell off her face and landed at Link's feet. It was a large white scale that shimmered like a pearl.

"I assume this must be the reward Naydra was talking about," Zelda guessed as Link picked up the scale. "You heard her voice too, right?"

Link nodded and then tossed the scale into the spring. For a moment, the spring seemed to light up before going dim again.

"Now the voice that told you to free Naydra…was it someone you recognized?" Zelda asked, hesitating to take off her clothes.

In response, Link shrugged and then he walked a ways down the mountain. While the cold winds seemed to momentarily die down, Zelda used this opportunity to remove her clothes and put on a white strapless dress her father said to wear for bathing in the springs. In addition, she put on a gold belt with the Triforce symbol on it a pair of golden braces a gold necklace with the bird symbol and brown sandals.

Freezing in the cold, Zelda immediately plunged into the Spring of Wisdom which was surprisingly warm like a hot spring. Looking at her right hand once more, she noticed the Triforce symbol was gone and shook her head as she clasped her hands in a prayer position. Kneeling before the Goddess Statue, she closed her eyes and prayed for answers to all her questions.

###

Back at Hyrule Castle, it turned out that nothing suspicious happened with Agahnim according to the Guards Zelda questioned and her father seemed perfectly fine. This in turn puzzled Zelda and so she looked back at the paragraphs in the diary.

"Maybe the reason Agahnim didn't try to kill my father while we were away was because he expected Naydra to eliminate us, which would've made my father more distraught and vulnerable," Zelda speculated to Link in her room. "Now if the Triforce of Power has already been formed, yet there are eight Triforce Shards out there…that means the four we collected so far formed the Triforce of Wisdom which went into my hand. So there's four more Triforce Shards left that form the third part of the Triforce, which the diary doesn't give a name to. Unless…the word 'Courage' is a clue since this Zelda mentions 'strength' which is obviously a reference to the Triforce of Power while 'wits' refers to the Triforce of Wisdom. Therefore, the last batch of shards must form the Triforce of Courage."

Link seemed to nod in agreement.

"But unlike the Triforce Shards we've acquired so far, she mentions needing to get crystals in order to unlock the Triforce of Courage though it's unclear what kind of crystals she's talking about," Zelda continued. "Plus, Paya did look at Impa's message recently with permission from Purah which mentioned other Sages. Assuming those Moblins and Bokoblins that attacked Kakariko work for Agahnim, they might start targeting the other Sages as well. So we must find the crystals to get the Triforce of Courage before whoever Agahnim works for does, and find the other Sages to protect them."

Once again, Link nodded.

###

"I know this going to sound weird, but last night I heard my grandmother Impa talking to me," Paya said to Zelda and Link during lunch the next day at Castle Town High School.

This made Zelda's eyes widen. "What did she say?"

"She said at her house in Kakariko Village, there are crystals inside a chest that Link must get in order to obtain the 'Triforce of Courage,'" Paya recalled.

"So I was right," Zelda realized and subsequently explained her theory on the final Triforce Shards in relation to the latest paragraph in the diary.

"That makes sense," Paya remarked after Zelda finished explaining. "She also told me that Link has to offer the crystals to six Goddess Statues in order to reveal the Great Palace where the Triforce of Courage resides."

"Then that means the final four Triforce Shards are there," Zelda guessed.

Just then, Riju and Mipha came up onto the plateau approaching Zelda Link and Paya.

"It seems the rumors are true," Riju remarked. "You and Link have been hanging out here at lunchtime instead of by the tree near the church, Zelda."

"We didn't believe them at first, but since you were consistently not at the tree last week we thought we'd check it out for ourselves," Mipha explained.

Riju then noticed Paya. "And who is your new friend?"

"Oh, I'm Paya of the Sheikah," Paya said as she got up. "You're a Gerudo, right?"

"That is correct," Riju responded, giving Paya an odd look.

"And you're a Zora!" Paya realized, looking at Mipha.

"Yes, that is what I am," Mipha responded nervously.

"You sound like you've never seen a Zora or a Gerudo before," Riju noted.

"No, I haven't," Paya admitted. "I'm sorry if I came off as rude, but I've never been outside Kakariko Village until a raid by some Moblins and Bokoblins forced me to flee."

"I did hear about that through the Hyrule Network," Riju said. "And while the Premier's Knights succeeded in driving the creatures away, there was one Kakariko Village member missing by the name of Impa. Do you know her?"

Paya frowned. "She's my grandmother."

"I'm so sorry," Mipha replied sympathetically. "I hope she'll be found."

"Thanks," Paya responded, trying to smile.

To be continued…


	12. 12th Entry: Vanishing Crystals

**Since Sidon and Mipha's mother is never mentioned in** ** _Breath of the Wild_** **, I thought I would give them one in this fanfic. While her name is Queen Oren, which is a reference to the character of the same name from** ** _A Link Between Worlds_** **, this version is designed like the Zoras in** ** _Breath of the Wild_** **but with similar coloring to the one from** ** _A Link Between Worlds_** **. Hope that clears up any confusion.**

12th Entry: Vanishing Crystals

That weekend, Zelda asked her father Rhoam if she could do a sleepover with Paya at Hateno Village. He in turn agreed to this so long as Link accompanied her. But instead of going to Hateno Village, Link and Zelda went to Kakariko Village where they met up with Paya. It was a small settlement tucked into a narrow valley with raised fields, orange prayer flags tied together with strings among tiny houses, and yards filled by sizable Cuccos.

"Is there a reason Purah didn't accompany us?" Zelda asked Paya after they arrived at Impa's home in Kakariko Village.

"She…doesn't want to be seen by anyone outside of me and her assistant Robbie," Paya explained reluctantly.

Before Zelda could inquire further, Paya entered the house of her grandmother and then came out a few minutes later carrying a stone chest. Upon opening it, Zelda and Link beheld six small clear crystals that were identical to one another. While Link put them into his bag, Zelda said to Paya, "Did your grandmother say anything about something called Malice?"

"Malice?" Paya shook her head. "I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

"Last week, when I went to the Spring of Wisdom Link and I were attacked by a dragon called Naydra," Zelda explained. "But it turned out Naydra was affected by Malice that was apparently caused by a 'Wizard in red robes.'"

Paya's eyes widened. "Could it be the same Wizard whom the Moblins and Bokoblins that attacked Kakariko mentioned?"

"Possibly, and I think this Wizard's name is my father's advisor Agahnim," Zelda responded. "He's the only person I know who wears red robes, and he was in a dream I had where my father dies by his hand."

"So that's what that new passage in the strange diary you showed me was talking about," Paya realized. "What are you going to do about him?"

"Nothing at the moment," replied Zelda. "We don't have definitive proof that he cursed Naydra or ordered the raid on Kakariko, and he hasn't taken any chances to kill my father yet. So he must be waiting for the right time to do it, but I don't know when."

"Well, I hope you find out soon," Paya said encouragingly. "Your father was very kind to me when I didn't know where to go after my grandmother disappeared, and I would hate it if he died in such a horrible manner."

From there, Link went to the Goddess Statue in Kakariko Village and offered one of the crystals to it. Once the deed was done, Zelda learned from Link that the crystal he offered vanished in a ray of light that seemed to come from somewhere other than the sun. Zelda wasn't sure whether to believe him or not, but then back in Hateno Village (which looked similar to Kakariko only the roofs were made of red tiles instead of wood) Link found another Goddess Statue to offer a crystal to. As Zelda watched the second crystal vanish before her and Link's eyes at the statue, she thought about how it was scientifically impossible and looked down at her right hand where the Triforce of Wisdom supposedly was. Paya seemed to notice this, but she mainly concentrated on praying to the Goddess Statue.

###

Two days later, Link offered the third crystal to the Goddess Statue in the church within Castle Town before classes started while Zelda kept the Priest distracted.

"It says in the _Hyrule Historia_ that Malice was the evil power the Great Calamity used to influence various things in Hyrule before the Hero's Resurrection, including the mechanical Guardians and Divine Beasts," Zelda said to Link during lunch later that day. "Though from what Naydra and Jitan Sa'mi said, they referred to you as the 'Hero' and me as the 'Princess'. Maybe what happened 1000 years ago…is somehow repeating itself."

Link shrugged in response.

"I wonder how you can be so calm, in spite of everything that's been happening to us thus far," Zelda responded, feeling envy rising in the pit of her stomach causing it to get all knotted up. "Don't you find it the least bit strange that I can see dreams of the future, a diary I don't even own describes things that happened in the past which somehow relate to the present, a bunch of pieces to a mystical relic that's never apparently existed before have appeared throughout Hyrule, and now crystals are vanishing at Goddess Statues? Either the world's gone crazy, or we're losing our grip on reality…"

"You shouldn't think like that, Zelda," Paya advised. "Instead of questioning the reason why things are happening the way they are, just accept it and I'm sure everything will make sense in due time."

###

Then during Zelda's second trip to the Spring of Wisdom, she and Link decided to stop at two Goddess Statues. While the fourth crystal was offered at the Spring of Wisdom itself before Zelda bathed in it, they planned to give the fifth one to the Goddess Statue in Zora's Domain which Zelda and Link dropped by on their way back to Hyrule Castle. Upon arriving at the bridge to a round structure suspended over a lake filled with waterways and stone steps, though, they found all the Zora wearing dark-blue tunics with saddened expressions.

"I wonder if a Zora died recently," Zelda figured, while Link seemed indifferent.

"We are mourning the loss of Queen Oren, my mother," Mipha answered as she approached Link and Zelda.

Sidon stood beside Mipha, who looked more serious compared to his usual confidant self, and they both wore the same dark-blue tunics as the other Zora.

"Loss?" Zelda looked confused. "But you told me that your mother vanished when Sidon was much younger."

"Yes, but since she has never returned my father declared her to be dead," Mipha responded, holding a framed picture of a female Zora whose skin was mint-green while her fins were bright orange and her head was orca-shaped. "Now, is there a reason you two showed up?"

To be continued…


	13. 13th Entry: Seven Sages

13th Entry: Seven Sages

"We were just going to visit the Goddess Statue, as part of this new training thing my father is having me do," Zelda explained to Mipha. "But if you want, we could come back another time."

"You don't need to do that," Sidon said assuredly. "Just be more respectful to everyone else around here than usual, okay?"

"Sure thing," Zelda nodded.

After finding the Goddess Statue in Zora's Domain, Link and Zelda waited for the Zora that were already present to finish praying before the statue before stepping forward to present the fifth crystal which vanished into light like the others before it. Then back at Hyrule Castle, Zelda looked through the obituaries that were available on the Hyrule Network but found no confirmation of Queen Oren's death. From there, she checked any reported incidents from around the time of Oren's disappearance and found several about how there were several searches made by the Zora and Hylian Knights to find Oren but to no avail.

"It's an interesting coincidence that Queen Oren pretty much vanished the same way that Impa did," Zelda said after telling her findings to Link. "Maybe she was a Sage too, and went to the Sacred Realm for safety reasons."

Link seemed to nod in agreement.

"Now that does beg the question of how many Sages there are in total, and how many of them are aware they're Sages," Zelda realized. "While I try to figure that out, you should look for a final Goddess Statue to offer the last crystal to."

Once again, Link nodded.

###

The following weekend, Teba offered to prepare Link for his upcoming test in Archery class at Rito Village much to Zelda's surprise. This was especially fortunate as there was a Goddess Statue in Rito Village, thus allowing Link to offer the sixth and final crystal to it. Once this happened, reports came in from the Hateno and Dueling Peaks Sheikah Towers about a strange box-like structure that suddenly appeared in the mountainous part of the East Necluda Province. Because it resembled the Lomei Labyrinths that were throughout Hyrule, this one was temporarily named the East Lomei Labyrinth.

"It has to be the Great Palace," Zelda realized after Link returned from Rito Village. "Why else would a new labyrinth appear out of nowhere? And in the same region where Impa disappeared, no less. But if we know that's where the Triforce of Courage is, then Agahnim knows and might be sending forces to claim it as we speak."

" _Link!_ " Shouted the Captain of the Guards from the outside of Zelda's room. " _Premier Rhoam wishes to speak with you right away._ "

Without hesitation, Link left Zelda's room causing her to follow. However, the Captain gently held her back while Link continued onward.

"Rhoam didn't ask for _your_ presence, Zelda," the Captain stated.

"Don't I have a right to know what's going on, though?" Zelda demanded.

Hesitating, the Captain answered, "The Premier is sending an expedition party to the Labyrinth that's appeared in East Necluda Province, and wants Link to be part of it."

"He wouldn't ask Link to do that," Zelda objected. "Link's my personal protector, after all!"

"Yes, but Premier Rhoam decided this based on advise given to him by Agahnim."

"And is Agahnim coming along on this expedition?"

"No, he's not."

Gritting her teeth, Zelda pushed past the Captain and ran to catch up to Link. Just then, Teba flew onto the walkway from the roof of her room.

"I couldn't help but listen in on your conversation," Teba said in a stern manner. "Since you're clearly worried about Link, I will keep an eye on him from afar for you."

"You would do that?" Zelda blinked. "But why are you being so nice after giving me and Link the cold shoulder for several years?"

"Watching you interact with the new girl Paya made me realize that by isolating myself from others, I was no different from Revali," Teba replied. "And because Link has tried to hang out with me numerous times, presumably under your suggestion out of concern for me, I figured it was time to return the favor to the both of you before we graduate Castle Town and possibly never see each other again."

"Well, I don't know if that last part is true," Zelda remarked. "But thank you, for your help."

Teba silently nodded and took off into the cloudy skies just as it started to rain.

###

With Link gone, Zelda made sure to be more cautious than usual as she silently crept to the library to find more information on Sages since there was no mention of them on the Hyrule Network. However, she noticed Agahnim coming from a different direction and hid behind a nearby pillar before he spotted her. Then just as he approached the door to the library, his left hand started glowing as the Triforce symbol appeared with the top triangle highlighted.

As Zelda watched this, she noticed her left hand glowed as well with the left triangle highlighted like before. Just as Agahnim looked around, Zelda pressed her body against the pillar and looked away. She heard a door opening, followed by footsteps, then a _slam_. Looking from behind the pillar, she noticed the door to the library was closed and decided to head back to her room to consult the _Hyrule Historia_ once more. While there wasn't a lot of information about Sages, the book cited two legends involving them.

In the first legend, it was said that a great evil was sealed away with the power of seven Sages into another realm. However, that realm became corrupted by the great evil's power which in turn sent a representative into Hyrule who deceived Hyrule's ruler and killed him. This representative then captured seven maidens descended from the seven Sages and a Princess to use their combined powers to bring the great evil into Hyrule, though he was stopped by a Hero.

Yet the second legend claimed that there were six Sages instead of seven, and each one was from a different race. They were summoned when an evil man from the desert gained access to a special temple, which gave him great power, due to a mistake that a young boy made who was trapped in another realm for six years. Now a teenager, this boy redeemed himself by finding the six Sages and a Princess who served as the Sages' leader in terms of stopping the evil man.

"I wonder if the temple mentioned in the second legend is the one Impa said not to look for," Zelda speculated. "But that doesn't tell me where it is, or if it still exists at all. Then there's that first legend, which seems to relate more to what's going on as far as my last dream is concerned. Still, in terms of finding the Sages, I'm not sure if I should be looking for seven maidens or six individuals from different races."

To be continued…


	14. 14th Entry: Seeking Answers

**So I'm going to be introducing more characters from** ** _A Link Between Worlds_** **with some changes made to them for this story. Hope you guys don't mind!**

14th Entry: Seeking Answers

When the next week of school started, neither Link Teba nor Rhoam had returned to Hyrule Castle yet. This made Zelda nervous, but she knew she couldn't afford to miss school today since it was the day of the Archery test that Teba helped Link prepare for. But since they were both gone, Zelda would have to explain their absences to the teacher Jini. Unfortunately, Link had taken his Epona model motorbike with him which forced Zelda to figure out a different way to get to Castle Town. She was about to contact Riju on the Sheikah Slate when a young Hylian woman with short blue-black hair wearing a black robe and pointed hat flew down from the skies on a broomstick.

"Hey," the young Hylian woman said as she hovered a few feet off the ground next to Zelda. "You're Zelda, right?"

"Y-Yes," Zelda answered.

"I'm Irene, the best witch of my generation," the young Hylian woman declared and then she corrected herself. "Well, technically a junior witch. But my grandmother sells Potions near the church in Castle Town."

"Oh, I think I've seen her before during Midterms and Finals Week," Zelda remembered. "A lot of students went to her for Potions that would either boost their stamina or restore their magic."

"Yep, that's her," Irene nodded, then she looked around. "So where's your bodyguard?"

"If you're referring to Link, he's aiding my father on an expedition to a new Labyrinth that was discovered recently," Zelda explained.

"I see." Irene paused and then said, "Well, the local Fortune Teller came by this morning to my grandmother's house. He said that I would meet disaster unless I took care of 'Something blue'. I'm not sure if he meant the sky or the lake at Zora's Domain, but then I saw you and realized what he meant. So until your bodyguard boyfriend returns, I'll take care of you for now."

Then Irene reached into the folds of her robe and tossed an item to Zelda who caught it. The item she held her hands was a golden bell attached to a wooden stick.

"Ring that if you need me to take you anywhere," Irene stated. "It's an enchanted bell that my broom responds to no matter where it is. So even if I'm not on the broom, it'll still come to take you where you need to go."

"Okay," Zelda responded. "I actually could use a ride right now, since Link usually takes me to school on his bike."

"You mean those mechanical horses?" Irene made a disgusted face. "I hate those things! They're so noisy and pervert the ways of magic. Brooms are more natural by comparison, and they're silent by comparison. Now get on!"

Without hesitation, Zelda got onto the broom behind Irene who leaned forward slightly causing the broom to rise into the air.

"I should also point out that Link's not my boyfriend!" Zelda shouted as the wind pressure was higher. "He's just my protector!"

"So he's available, then?" Irene asked.

"What?" Zelda exclaimed.

"Never mind."

###

At Castle Town High School, Zelda told Jini about Link and Teba's situation. Unlike most Hylians who were pale-skinned, Jini was dark-skinned with dark hair and a mustache wearing tan clothes that appeared to be handmade. He agreed to excuse the boys' absences if they agreed to do a makeup test once they came back, which Zelda promised to tell them before she proceeded to partake in the Archery test which consisted of shooting several targets on horseback. While Zelda did well and received praises from her classmates, she couldn't help but think about how Teba offered to help Link but not her even though Link's archery skills were just as good as hers.

Later, after History class was over, Zelda decided to stay behind and approached a young man in a yellow-and-purple robe. Though his ears were pointed like a Hylian's with platinum-blond hair tied up in a bun, he had slightly tan skin and an unusually long nose which were indicative traits of his partial Gerudo heritage.

"Ah, Zelda of Hyrule," the young man addressed, bowing politely. "To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you without Link by your side?"

"I wish to speak to Sahasrahla," Zelda stated. "Do you know where he lives, Osfala?"

"While I may be his own pupil, and subsequent teaching assistant, I cannot give you that kind of private information," the young man replied. "Unless, you have permission or a very good reason to speak to him."

Hesitating to answer, Zelda said, "There are some old legends I found recently, that may have something to do with the weird things that have been happening around Hyrule lately. I know that sounds crazy, but I'm sure Sahasrahla must know something to confirm these theories I have. Unless I talk to him soon, I'm afraid Hyrule will be in danger."

Osfala looked grim and then he said, "If it's something that I can answer, I will gladly help you."

"No, Osfala," Zelda rejected. "I believe Sahasrahla has the answers I'm looking for."

"All right, I was just making a suggestion," replied Osfala. "He lives in Kakariko Village, near Impa's house. Now if I recall, she disappeared following that raid by those Moblins and Bokoblins. Do you want me to accompany you?"

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I'll be fine," Zelda insisted and left the History classroom.

On the way out, Zelda bumped into someone and backed away. It was a girl about her age with turquoise-blue hair that was cut just above her shoulders wearing a white cap and blue cloak over a matching blue dress. At her feet was a book with a red cover, which Zelda recognized as being the same book that the Priest read from during sermons in the church.

"I'm sorry, Seres," Zelda apologized, picking up the book. "I didn't mean to run into you."

"It's all right, Zelda," Seres smiled as she took the book from Zelda's hand. "There's no need to apologize for my sake."

Just then, a little boy wearing a green cap matching vest and pants over a yellow shirt came running through the center of Castle Town carrying a sword-shaped package. Some of the students pointed at him and said, "Kokiri" loudly enough for Zelda and Seres to hear it.

"What does that mean?" Zelda wondered.

"Don't you know?" Seres said, looking at the little boy with concern. "That kid is Gulley, the adopted son of the local Blacksmith, but everyone calls him 'Kokiri' because rumor has it he was raised by Koroks in the Faron Province after his real parents abandoned him as a baby before the Blacksmith and his wife took him in."

"Is there some truth to that rumor?" Zelda asked.

"I don't know," Seres shook her head. "But I still feel sorry for Gulley, especially when others tease him."

To be continued…


	15. 15th Entry: Legends and History

**Now I know in** ** _A Link Between Worlds_** **, Rosso was Hylian. But in this fanfic I'm making him a Goron in order to create more diversity between the Seven Sages, which is the same reason I made my version of Osfala half-Gerudo and Gulley a Kokiri boy in the sense that he was raised by Koroks.**

15th Entry: Legends and History

After leaving Seres, Zelda used the bell to call Irene who reluctantly agreed to take Zelda to Kakariko Village. On the way there, they noticed a Goron with red hair and a matching beard wearing a brown vest and leather braces who was lifting rocks that had fallen from a nearby cliff.

"Who's that?" Zelda wondered.

"That's Rosso!" Irene shouted. "He does mining at Death Mountain, but occasionally wanders around Hyrule looking for new deposits of valuable materials!"

Then in Kakariko Village, Irene took off while Zelda went to a house that was near Impa's and found the door to be open. Inside, there was a tall old man wearing a yellow robe with a bald head that was leaning on a wooden staff near a shelf of books.

"Zzz…Zelda…zzz…sword…" the old man murmured.

Hearing her name made Zelda flinch and take a step back. The wooden floorboard creaked underneath her boot, which made the old man shake his head and look behind him.

"Oh, Zelda," the old man said looking embarrassed. "I didn't hear you come in. Must've dozed off again…"

"There's no need to apologize, Sahasrahla," Zelda smiled politely. "I wanted to talk to you about some old legends I came across in the _Hyrule Historia_."

"Legends, eh?" Sahasrahla rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. "Is this for an extra-credit assignment?"

Zelda shook her head. "No, I found them on my own. Though I think they may have something to do with what's been happening lately in Hyrule."

Sahasrahla gave Zelda an odd look. "Are you referring to the new Labyrinth that was discovered, or the raid on Kakariko Village?"

"Both."

"While I may have said in my lectures that history does have a way of repeating itself, I would like to know what these legends are to see if there is something to them or not."

So from there, Zelda described the two legends she found about the Sages and briefly mentioned her dream with Agahnim in it. Sahasrahla listened very intensely, and occasionally stroked his white beard in a contemplative sense.

"Now that I've heard your story, Zelda, I must admit that I too have been doing some research into the legends of old to make sense of the strange events that are going on in Hyrule currently," Sahasrahla responded after a pause. "While I do see a correlation between the legend with the seven maidens and your dream, I think there is a third legend to consider. This one's not as well-known as the other two, but it may offer another explanation. It is said when Hyrule was created, a mirror one to ours was formed. While this land flourished with the power of a great relic before it was sealed away, the people in this mirror world destroyed the relic causing it to suffer.

"So an ambitious man came to this realm in search of those descended from seven Sages, which he turned into paintings and took to the mirror world. He also kidnapped a Princess, forcing a Hero to stop him using a strange power he gained from a mysterious merchant that turned out to be the Hero's own counterpart from the mirror world. Meanwhile, the Princess' counterpart in the mirror world was aiding the man who took the Sages but he was only using her to gain the power of Hyrule's relic for himself after merging with the great evil's spirit."

"This relic you speak of…wouldn't happen to be known as the Triforce, would it?" Zelda interrupted nervously.

Hearing that, Sahasrahla's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"I'm friends with Paya, whose grandmother was Impa and she told Paya a lot of things before she disappeared," Zelda explained briefly.

"I see." Sahasrahla glanced at his book shelf before saying, "She told me a great deal as well, which I've been confirming for myself through extensive research since her disappearance. That's why Osfala has been substituting my classes for a while. Now from what I have been able to find, it's clear the Triforce was present in Hyrule before it was sealed into another realm to be protected from those who would use its wish-fulfilling power for evil. However, this did come true at one point in Hyrule's history though what happened afterwards is unclear. While some sources claim the one who used the Triforce for evil was defeated by a Hero before being banished somewhere else, others say it was seven Sages that banished the evil one away after the Hero failed. Even the Goddesses themselves were said to have flooded Hyrule at one point to prevent the evil one from using the Triforce when the Hero didn't return from a never-ending journey. As I've said before in history lessons, the trouble with legends is that it's hard to tell where the truth lies and what was made up for the sake of a good story."

Zelda looked down at her left hand. "Then what are you saying? That these legends aren't true or only partially?"

"Unless we could travel back through time, we may never know the truth of these legends," Sahasrahla replied. "But it is a strange coincidence that Impa disappeared, when a Sage with her name has appeared twice in the sources I've found. So there may be some truth to the Sages story, and now this Labyrinth has made me recall a legend about a Hero who searched for a 'Great Palace' to locate the Triforce of Courage which in actuality is only one-third of the Triforce itself."

"That's what I came to the conclusion of as well!" Zelda exclaimed, then she corrected, "From my own research, of course."

"It seems you really do have the mind of a Scholar, even if your father may not entirely agree with this career path you've chosen based on the parent-teacher conferences I've had with him," Sahasrahla remarked.

"Thanks for reminding me," Zelda frowned. "He now wants me to undergo this training to unlocking this 'Sealing Power' that apparently has been passed down through every woman in my family for generations."

"Ah, yes, the Sealing Power that stopped the Great Calamity," Sahasrahla recalled. "I have feeling you will want to master this ability soon, assuming history is repeating itself."

Before Zelda could respond, she heard two pairs of footsteps approaching. Turning around, she saw Link carrying an unusual sword on his back with Teba standing next to him. But what surprised her even more was seeing his left hand glowing with the right triangle lit up on the Triforce symbol that appeared, which turned caused Zelda's own Triforce symbol to appear on her hand as well with the left triangle glowing instead.

To be continued…


	16. 16th Entry: The Sword of Destiny

16th Entry: The Sword of Destiny

"Great Goddesses!" Sahasrahla exclaimed, pointing at the sword on Link's back. "That's the Master Sword!"

"The Master Sword?" Zelda looked at the hilt, which was dark-blue with wing-like edges. "I thought that was returned to its resting place in the Lost Woods when the Great Calamity was defeated long ago."

"It was," Teba spoke up. "After Link traversed the East Lomei Labyrinth yesterday, he entered a Shrine and apparently fought a shadow version of himself before obtaining this 'Triforce of Courage'. Then he heard a voice and had me take him to the Lost Woods where he pulled out the Master Sword, which took him until this morning to do. The Premier was naturally upset when we rendezvoused with him at Hyrule Castle, since the Labyrinth apparently vanished and he was worried we went with it. But once he saw the Master Sword he became concerned for your safety, Zelda, and so we went looking for you though Link figured you went here."

"I came here to speak to Sahasrahla about some legends I found while you were away," Zelda said to Link. "They relate to the Sages, but I wasn't sure which one might tell us where they are. Then Sahasrahla just told me another legend I've never heard of, and Impa has the same name as an actual Sage that existed."

"So history is repeating itself," Sahasrahla said out loud, getting everyone's attention. "Seeing the Triforce symbol on your hand, Link, I realize that you are the chosen Hero of this generation just as Zelda herself is this generation's Princess."

"But I bear the Triforce of Wisdom," Zelda corrected. "And my father's a Premier, not a King!"

"There are several legends that claim a Princess of Hyrule also carried the Triforce of Wisdom," Sahasrahla stated. "And let's not forget that your family is descended from royalty, Zelda, so while you may not technically be a Princess you come from a long line of Princesses."

For a while, no one spoke as Teba looked out the door and noticed the sun was lower on the horizon past the mountains.

"It's getting late," Teba said. "I should probably get Link and Zelda back to Hyrule Castle before the Premier starts panicking, though I can only carry one person at a time."

"Oh, I've got my own ride," Zelda replied, and held up Irene's bell. "I befriended a girl named Irene who said she was willing to help me in order to avoid some kind of disaster."

"Is she that witch girl whose grandmother sells Potions?" Teba wondered.

"Yes, that's her," Zelda answered.

"Before you go, Zelda, I would like to know how you came to possess the Triforce of Wisdom," Sahasrahla interrupted.

Zelda hesitated for a moment and then she said, "I found a diary recently that mentioned the Triforce of Wisdom, and Impa gave Paya a Triforce Shard before she vanished. Afterwards, Link went searching for Impa and he found two more Triforce Shards in a pair of Shrines. Then last month, my father ordered me to start going to the Spring of Wisdom to begin unlocking my Sealing Power, but Link and I encountered a dragon named Naydra there. While Link distracted it, I went into a Shrine behind the spring and obtained a fourth Triforce Shard which merged with the other shards causing it to transform into the Triforce of Wisdom which fused with my hand."

"Now why was Naydra present?"

"It was afflicted by Malice, which apparently was what the Great Calamity used to corrupt things before the Hero's Resurrection."

"Ah, yes, I recall the Hero did encounter a dragon of the same name during his journey to freeing the Divine Beasts who was also afflicted by Malice. Though given that the Spirit Dragons are practically immortal, this dragon you and Link encountered may be the same one that the Hero met 1000 years ago."

Zelda was about to say something when Link grabbed her hand, indicating that they should go. But Zelda halted and said to Sahasrahla, "Will you promise not to tell my father about the dragon encounter? He told us not to go near the spring if something dangerous was present, but Link fought it anyway because he was compelled by a voice—

"A voice, you say?" Sahasrahla flinched. "Was it a young female's voice?"

In response, Link nodded.

"How did you know?" Zelda asked.

"Just as you walked in, Zelda, I was having a daydream where a young female voice mentioned your name and a sword that Link would use to defeat an evil that is present at Hyrule Castle which seems to correlate with your dream of a man that looked like Agahnim killing Rhoam."

"Then my father really is in danger…" Zelda fretted.

"It would seem so," Sahasrahla frowned. "And if Agahnim is the representative mentioned in the legend about the Seven Maidens, he will undoubtably look for the remaining descendants of the Seven Sages to draw out the two who escaped him."

"Two? I thought Impa was the only confirmed Sage."

"I believe the other is Queen Oren, since her lineage dates back to Princess Ruta who was one of the Six Sages that aided the Hero of Time."

Though she was glad about being right that Oren was a Sage, Zelda pondered, "Do you think Agahnim hopes to use the descendants of the Seven Sages in order to get into the realm where the Triforce usually resides?"

"Worse. I'm afraid he might try to use their power as well as yours and Link's pieces of the Triforce to unleash the Great Calamity again. That is, assuming he has the Triforce of Power already."

"I'm sure he does, because I saw his left hand glow just like mine did," Zelda answered.

"So we must act fast in order to stop him," Sahasrahla determined. "I'll do some more research to see who the other descendants could be today, and let you know so that they may be protected from Agahnim's forces."

"Thank you, Sahasrahla," Zelda nodded. "You've been incredibly helpful."

###

Once Teba and Irene dropped Link and Zelda off at Hyrule Castle, the two were confronted by Rhoam while Agahnim lurked nearby. He kept his left hand behind him, while Zelda and Link instinctively did the same in case their hands started glowing again.

"Zelda, I thought I made it clear that you weren't to go off on your own without telling Agahnim first," Rhoam insisted.

"But I was fine," Zelda claimed. "A classmate named Irene gave me a ride to Kakariko Village where I talked to Sahasrahla and nothing happened."

"What did you need to talk to Sahasrahla about?" Rhoam asked.

"Just…an extra-credit assignment, involving some old legends from the past."

Sighing, Rhoam said, "I think I've had enough of legends today, after Link managed to pull out the Master Sword. But this is a sign that we must bring back the Champions."

"Champions? The same ones who defeated the Great Calamity, even in death?" Zelda couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Exactly," Rhoam confirmed. "During the next meeting I have with the Province Leaders in two months' time, we shall determine who the next Champions shall be along with their Commander. As for you, Zelda, I do not want you to go anywhere on your own without Link. Then if he's not around, inform either me or Agahnim to arrange an escort."

"Very well, Father," Zelda nodded reluctantly.

To be continued…


	17. 17th Entry: Unexpected Message

17th Entry: Unexpected Message

In the next two months, Zelda made the last two journeys to the Spring of Wisdom and yet unlike the first time she went nothing seemed to happen that would indicate her Sealing Power was awakening. As this was happening Osfala, Rosso, Seres, Gulley, and Irene disappeared in the same manner as Oren and Impa following more frequent raids by Moblins and Bokoblins.

"I guess that confirms the remaining Sage descendants, whether they were captured or went off to the Sacred Realm," Zelda said to Link as they were examining the disappearance reports on the Hyrule Network on her Sheikah Slate during lunch at Castle Town High School. "Though I certainly hope it was the latter that happened."

"But you've told me about seeing Agahnim looking pretty…agitated lately," Paya pointed out. "Maybe he didn't capture the others—

"Or he's frustrated that two of the seven descendants are unaccounted for," Teba interrupted, causing Zelda and Paya to give him nervous looks. "Link explained the situation to me on the way to Lost Woods."

"Oh, I see," Zelda sighed with relief.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Great Plateau Gang," Revali said as he flew down from the skies and landed in front of the others.

"The what?" Paya blinked.

"It's a nickname I made up for you guys, since you're always hanging out on the Great Plateau," Revali answered. "Fancy seeing you again, Teba."

"Likewise," Teba replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Strange how you've been a lone bird for many years since attending this school, and yet on your final year you decide to befriend Link and Zelda," Revali noted, and saw Paya glare at him. "And this Sheikah girl—

Paya then stood up. "My name is Paya, and you must be Revali whom I have not heard good things about."

Revali seemed offended. "What are you talking about? I'm one of the most popular students here at Castle Town High School!"

"Whoever declared that obviously has bad taste, considering how rude you are!" Paya snapped. "And why should you care about who Teba hangs out with?"

"Weren't you listening?" Revali responded. "I just said that it seems odd that someone like Teba, who's mostly been alone since I stopped being friends with him, would want to suddenly make new friends now when we're literally on our final year here at Castle Town. Either someone talked him into it, or he owes a favor to one of you. So what's the deal, Teba, or are you going to let this Sheikah girl speak on your behalf?"

Before Paya got the chance to speak, Zelda stood up and put a hand over Paya's mouth. "We should probably get going to our classes, since the school bell will probably ring soon anyway."

"Agreed," Teba nodded and stood up as well along with Link.

Descending from the Great Plateau, the four of them reached the courtyard area of Castle Town where Zelda finally let go of Paya's mouth who breathed in exasperation.

"I'm sorry," Paya apologized. "I don't usually get angry, but Revali—

"He gets on everyone's nerves, though they tolerate him because he's a beloved protege to the teachers," Zelda said. "Plus, his father was a renowned Rito warrior which has made him determined to surpass him in every way."

"Though that doesn't excuse him for being a jerk, since his father was one of the most humble Rito warriors to ever live," Teba brought up.

"Yes, and I believe he accompanied Link's uncle on several missions he undertook for my father," Zelda recalled, and noticed Link was frowning. "Oh, sorry I brought your uncle up again."

Link shook his head, and smiled a little bit.

"So you're not offended?" Seeing Link shake his head again, Zelda smiled. "Well, that's good."

"Hey, Zelda!" Sidon called, approaching the group while Yunobo was at his side. "My sister wanted to know if you were planning to get together with her and Riju for the Majora's Cafe get-together during the Province Leaders' meeting tonight."

"Of course I will," Zelda nodded. "I was thinking of bringing Link Paya and Teba along."

"Sorry, Zelda, but I think I'll pass," Teba said, looking embarrassed. "I have a date."

"With Saki?" When Teba flinched, Zelda responded, "I have Harp lessons with her, and she told me how you two have been going steady for a while after Revali stopped being your friend."

"Yeah, she…helped me get through the feelings I had of looking up to someone who wasn't as great as I thought," Teba explained. "That's part of the reason I didn't make the time to befriend anyone else, aside from not wanting to get hurt again."

"Where are you thinking of taking her on your date?" Zelda asked.

"The Flight Range, in Rito Village," answered Teba.

"I see." Zelda paused and then said, "Well, you don't have to come to Majora's Cafe if you don't want to. But I do appreciate what you've done for me and Link recently, and I hope you have a good date."

"Thanks," Teba respectfully bowed and flew off just as the bell rang.

"All right, I guess we'll see you two at Majora's Cafe later," Sidon said. "Right, Yunobo?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Yunobo responded nervously.

###

At Majora's Cafe, the usual Hylian musicians were replaced by a traveling minstrel family of Ritos that resembled parrots and birds-of-paradise. While the father Kass played an accordion, the mother Amali and their daughters Genli, Cree, Kheel, Kotts and Notts did harmonized vocals.

"It's a shame that Teba didn't come with us," Zelda muttered out loud. "He would've liked to have seen Rito musicians here for the first time in a while."

"Let it go, Zelda," Riju insisted. "He made the choice to not come."

"That is true," Mipha agreed, and noticed Revali sitting by himself nearby. "Though I do wonder why Revali is here, since he's never come to this place before."

"I saw him accompanying the Rito Province Leader earlier at Hyrule Castle, right before Mipha and I left our father to join you," Sidon said. "They were whispering something about 'Champions', whatever that means."

"You don't know who the Champions are?" Yunobo exclaimed. "Sahasrahla did a lecture about them in our History class earlier this semester, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, but I wasn't paying attention," Sidon remembered. "His lectures are incredibly boring, and he has a tendency to doze off."

"But Osfala mentioned them recently, before he disappeared," Yunobo added.

"Right, but Osfala's lectures are long-winded and he winds up talking about himself more than the actual subject-matter," Sidon pointed out. "I guess I just don't like History."

"You don't have to like it, but it is important," Zelda interjected. "After all, there are many things that happened in the past that are similar to what's happening today."

"Like what?" Sidon asked.

Before Zelda could answer, her Sheikah Slate lit up. Looking at it, she saw an image of Agahnim holding a knife to her father's throat. Below the image was a message that said:

 _If you're getting this message, Zelda, then I want you and Link to return to Hyrule Castle immediately. Bring me the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage, and your father will live. Don't try anything funny, as I have the other Province Leaders and Sage descendants as hostages. Plus, the Guards are under my control so there's nothing you or anyone else can do._

"What is it, Zelda?" Paya said. "You look upset."

"It's nothing," Zelda insisted, putting the Sheikah Slate away. "Link, come with me."

Without hesitation, Link got up from his seat at the booth they were at along with Zelda. Together, they made their way past the tables and out of Majora's Cafe.

To be continued…


	18. 18th Entry: Help from Others

18th Entry: Help from Others

Outside of Majora's Cafe, Zelda told Link about the message she got from Agahnim on her Sheikah Slate. Link in turn went to his Epona bike and got the Master Sword, which he had been keeping inside a blue scabbard he made for it in Blacksmithing class recently that was wrapped in a leather bag.

"I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to force our way into the castle," Zelda said. "If Agahnim has somehow taken control of the Guards, then we shouldn't hurt them."

In response, Link patted the Knight's Sword that was still attached to his side.

"Oh, I see," Zelda realized. "If they take away our weapons, they may not take away the bag thinking there's nothing in it. But if Agahnim orders the Guards to be more thorough than usual—

"Zelda," Riju interrupted, approaching Link and Zelda from the cafe. Behind her came Buliara, Sidon, Mipha, Paya, and Yunobo.

"What are you all doing out here?" Zelda asked.

"Buliara overheard your conversation with Link and told us," Riju explained.

"We figured you were leaving to go rescue your father on your own," Mipha spoke up. "So we want to help you."

"This isn't a homework assignment, guys," Zelda insisted. "My father is literally being held hostage by a madman, along with the other Province Leaders and possibly several other innocent people. If we don't meet his demands, he might decide to kill them all."

"But we can't let him get his hands on your Triforce pieces," Paya spoke up. "Didn't Sahasrahla claim that Agahnim might try to use them to—

"I know what the risks are, Paya," Zelda insisted. "But if I want to prevent the passage in that diary from coming true, we can't afford to put my father's life in any more danger than he already is. Now I know what I'm saying might sound crazy to the rest of you, and I don't have time to explain it—

"We don't think you're crazy in trying to save your father," Sidon interceded. "My dad's in danger too, and so is Riju's grandma and Yunobo's dad."

"That's right," Riju agreed. "Just because we may not understand this stuff about Triforce pieces and diary passages that apparently predict the future doesn't mean we don't agree with what you're doing. We're not just offering our help because you're our friend, but our loved ones are in danger as well so we want to save them."

"Yeah!" Sidon said enthusiastically. "So what's the plan?"

"Riju Buliara and I will accompany Link and Zelda to Hyrule Castle," Mipha decided. "The rest of you should try to get help from the Zora Goron and Sheikah forces through the Hyrule Network if possible."

"But they may not get here in time," Sidon claimed. "And why should we be left out?"

"Do any of you know how to use a weapon?" Riju asked. "While Link knows how to use a sword and Zelda a bow, I'm familiar with the scimitar Buliara has a claymore sword and Mipha can fight with a trident."

While Paya shook her head, Sidon said, "I'm really good at swimming."

"My dad taught me an ability to protect myself from getting hurt," Yunobo brought up. "But I'm not sure how helpful it will be."

"It will be incredibly helpful, Yunobo," Sidon said encouragingly.

"Well, we could use Sidon's swimming ability to get into the castle through the moat if the front entrance is blocked off," Zelda suggested. "And depending on how strong Yunobo's protection ability is, we could use it to get in without hurting anyone."

"So I guess it's up to me to get reinforcements, then," Paya realized, looking disappointed.

"Let's see what the situation is like first, before we make a plan of attack," Zelda declared. "It's possible that this whole thing is just one sick joke by Agahnim, and I'm just jumping to conclusions for no logical reason."

Then Zelda and Link went to the Epona bike while Buliara and Riju went to their golden horse-shaped motorbike with the walrus-shaped sidecar. As the two bikes drove off towards Hyrule Castle, Sidon and Mipha followed on their bike which was a two-seater and shaped like a Great Fairy Fish from Termina. Then Yunobo curled up into a boulder and went rolling down the street after everyone else, which forced Paya to run after him when she heard the sound of flapping wings.

###

At the front of Hyrule Castle, several Guards were standing in front of the bridge over the moat in a straight line. However, their usual gray-blue armor was now mint-green in color. Then when Zelda made eye-contact with the Captain, whose armor was red instead of purple, his eyes were red without pupils. She noticed the same thing with the other Guards' eyes, but then a brief flash of light made her look inside her bag and pull out the diary where a new passage was present.

"'Agahnim may have taken control over my father's Guards, and locked me away along with the other Sage descendants, but I believe the Hero will not give up trying to save me. Only the Triforce can stop Agahnim now, and the one that he represents,'" Zelda recited as soon as Link parked the bike in the shadow of a nearby alleyway while the others did the same to their bikes minus Yunobo and Paya. "Well, I don't need a mysterious diary entry to tell me that there's something wrong with the Hyrule Castle Guards."

So Zelda took the Royal Bow and arrows from a compartment in the Epona bike, while Buliara and Riju took out the Golden Claymore and a Gerudo Scimitar respectively from their bike. Then while Link slung the bag containing the Master Sword across his shoulder, Mipha carried a similar bag that was much longer.

"What's in that?" Paya asked Mipha.

"The Lightscale Trident," Mipha answered. "It was specially made for my sixteenth birthday, and I've been learning to fight with it ever since."

"Oh, I see," Paya remarked. "By the way, I noticed—

"Shh!" Zelda insisted. "Link and I will see what the situation is, while the rest of you stay here."

No one argued as they clung to the shadows of the alleyway, while Link and Zelda approached the Captain of the Guards.

To be continued…


	19. 19th Entry: Breaking into Hyrule Castle

19th Entry: Breaking into Hyrule Castle

" _Where are your friends, Zelda?_ " The Captain of the Guards said in a monotone voice.

"It's just me and Link, Captain," Zelda answered. "I would like to see my father."

" _Only if you give up your weapons,_ " replied the Captain.

"And why should we?" Zelda questioned. "We've never had to do that with you before, even during prior Province Leader meetings."

" _But this one is different,_ " the Captain insisted. " _Agahnim insisted tighter security in wake of the recent raids by Moblins and Bokoblins. Plus, the subject of this meeting is too important to take any chances. So give me your weapons, or else._ "

The other Guards drew out their own swords and spears, making Zelda nervous while Link inched his hand closer to the Knight's Sword.

"Very well," Zelda sighed and removed her Royal Bow with the arrows.

Reluctantly, Link did the same to his Knight's Sword.

While two of the Guards took the weapons, the Captain pointed at Link's leather bag. " _We'll need to see what's inside that bag, just to be safe._ "

Link hesitated to take the bag off his shoulder.

" _Give it,_ " the Captain demanded, reaching for his own sword.

"Please do what the Captain says, Link," Zelda insisted. "Trust me."

So Link handed the bag over to the Captain, who unbuckled the straps and revealed the blue scabbard with the Master Sword inside of it. Taking the sword out of the bag by its scabbard, the Captain tried to touch the hilt only to suddenly drop the entire sword.

" _The Blade…of Evil's Bane…_ " the Captain muttered out loud, clenching his hand. " _Seize them!_ "

As the other Guards advanced toward Zelda and Link, a sudden gust of wind knocked them all down followed by the Captain getting landed on by a familiar black-feathered Rito.

"Revali!" Zelda exclaimed, while Link grabbed the Master Sword along with its scabbard. "What are you—

"I overheard your friends talking in Majora's Cafe, and got curious," Revali responded. "Now if you want to save your father and the other Province Leaders, I suggest you go inside now before these guys get up."

"Thank you," Zelda smiled and quickly grabbed the Royal Bow and arrows from the fallen Guard who took them before heading across the bridge along with Link.

Meanwhile, several other Guards that were stationed along the outside of the moat made their way towards the bridge. Fortunately, they were stopped by Revali with the aid of Riju and Buliara who made sure to use their sword hilts in order to knock the Guards out. Then as a guard tried to attack Yunobo with a spear, he flinched and a fiery-orange energy field appeared around him with the spear being deflected. This allowed Mipha to knock out the guard with the staff end of her trident before she took off after Link and Zelda while Paya did the same. As for Sidon, he jumped into the moat and swam along it leaping into the air in order to knock out Guards from behind.

At the end of the bridge, there were two armed Guards which Link briefly sparred before knocking them out with the Master Sword allowing Zelda and him to enter the castle. Inside, there were more guards that advanced which Zelda was able to fend off by shooting arrows at various objects that incapacitated them such as torch stands and chandeliers. While Mipha helped her, Paya was too busy ducking Guards until one closed in on her. Fortunately, she was saved by Yunobo who rolled his body onto the Guard just as the energy field dissipated.

"Thanks," Paya acknowledged. "I guess Daruk's Protection ability really did work, after all."

"Yeah, it sure did," Yunobo said, looking embarrassed.

"We need to keep moving!" Zelda ordered. "If we don't get to the meeting room soon, Agahnim might kill my father and the others."

Just then, Revali Riju Buliara and Sidon came into the foyer area followed by multiple Guards.

"Turns out there were more guards coming from the dock entrance of the castle," Sidon said while panting. "I was barely able to get away from them, and then they used ropes and anchors to get up onto the bridge just as we were retreating."

Then as more Guards showed up in the above stairs, Yunobo suddenly said, "Zelda!"

"What is it, Yunobo?" Zelda asked.

"I-I have an idea," Yunobo responded. "If you guys stand close to me, I could use Daruk's Protection to get past the Guards while ascending the stairs."

"But judging by the radius of the energy field itself, I'm not sure if all of us could fit inside," Zelda realized.

"Maybe one of us can," Paya said. "Since I'm practically defenseless, and small, I should be able to fit within the radius of Daruk's Protection."

Yunobo looked at the incoming Guards from above, he nodded. "All right, but you should probably get on my back. You'll be safer that way."

"Okay," Paya agreed and climbed onto Yunobo's back.

"You should go with them, brother," Mipha said to Sidon. "We'll take care of things down here. Right, Riju?"

"Definitely," Riju smirked, swinging her scimitar.

"It's time for round-two with these puny Hylian men," Buliara said firmly.

"Guess I'm in too deep to back out now," Revali muttered out loud. "But you owe me one, Link. Remember that."

Link nodded in response, just as Yunobo activated Daruk's Protection again and charged up the stairs knocking out Guards along the way. While Sidon followed right behind, Zelda and Link did the same. They eventually reached the entrance to the meeting room, which only had Agahnim in front of it.

" _This is the end of the road, Zelda,_ " Agahnim said angrily, and held up his hand. " _Give me what I want, or the Province Leaders and Sage descendants will be killed by the Guards with the snap of my finger._ "

Sidon bared his shark teeth. "Why, you—

"Don't, Sidon," Zelda responded, holding Sidon back. "If Link and I agree to give you the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage, will you agree to let the Province Leaders and the Sage descendants go?"

" _I'm willing to negotiate the Province Leaders' lives, since I was only using them to draw you out,_ " replied Agahnim. " _But I will not part with the Sage descendants. They are too important for my mission._ "

"Which is?" Zelda inquired.

" _To bring back the one who created me,_ " Agahnim answered. " _He's gone by many names over Hyrule's history: the Great Calamity, the Dark Lord, the Gerudo King of Thieves, Ganondorf, but to me…he is known as Ganon._ "

To be continued…


	20. 20th Entry: Darkness and Light

**I didn't think it would take this long to resolve the Agahnim story-arc, but I have now and hopefully future ones won't take as long though there's no guarantee of that.**

20th Entry: Darkness and Light

"Ganon?" Zelda gasped. "Of course! In the _Hyrule Historia_ , the Great Calamity was also called Calamity Ganon but I never understood what that name meant until now."

" _The only reason his name is even remembered in the first place is because of what he did in spite of not being from this timeline to begin with,_ " Agahnim said. " _Long ago, before the Guardians and Divine Beasts were built by the Sheikah, Hyrule was affected by a phenomenon where creatures and locations from alternate timelines converged due to the great power of a Seer who was corrupted by Ganondorf._ "

Zelda looked baffled. "Ganondorf? But you said he and Ganon are the same thing."

" _They are, and yet they are not,_ " replied Agahnim. " _When the Hero of Time fought the one I represent, who was known as Ganondorf, his actions caused three timelines to be created. I am from one where the Hero failed, and Ganondorf was transformed into the Demon King Ganon by the Triforce. But then he was sealed into the Sacred Realm, which was also called the Golden Land, by the Seven Sages. Little did they realize that the Sacred Realm could not contain Ganon's power, which corrupted it into a Dark Land that existed parallel to Hyrule filled with monsters and evil magic that would curse anyone who came there._

" _Still, Ganon wanted to control Hyrule and the Dark Land so he made me his avatar in Hyrule. There, I gained the trust of its king before killing him and imprisoning the Princess along with six maidens descended from the Sages in the Dark Land. I had hoped to use their power along with the Triforce in order to bring Ganon into Hyrule, but I was stopped by a Hero whose uncle died trying to stop me before him. Now I have a second chance to achieve what I could not before, so give me the Triforce pieces or I'll kill your father the same way I killed the King of Hyrule in my time._ "

Agahnim pressed his thumb and middle finger together, and was about to rub them when Zelda held up her right hand.

"Before Link and I give the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom to you, I would like to know how you're standing here if you were defeated beforehand," Zelda said.

" _When I was killed by the Hero, Ganon manifested through me but was slain too,_ " Agahnim answered." _Yet his spirit lingered on, and eventually found its way into this timeline due to being attracted to the Triforce of Power which manifested here along with the other pieces. With it and the Seer's powerful magic, he became Calamity Ganon and wreaked havoc upon Hyrule until the Hero the Princess and the four Divine Beasts defeated him. Yet as you know, Zelda, that wasn't the end as he manifested yet again corrupting the Guardians and Divine Beasts with Malice which ushered in a dark age until the Hero's Resurrection. But even then, he never truly died and was merely sent to the Dark Land which now existed as a mirror version of the Sacred Realm along with the Seer's corrupted half. With her help, Ganon recreated me for the purpose of coming here to bring him back to life which I shall be able to accomplish with your Triforce pieces and the Sage descendants once they show themselves to me!_ "

"Hold on," Paya interrupted. "Didn't you say you had the Sage descendants as hostages?"

This made Agahnim flinch. " _Yes…_ "

"So you were bluffing," Zelda realized. "You don't really have the Sage descendants as hostages, because they disappeared into the Sacred Realm before your Moblin and Bokoblin forces could get their hands on them!"

" _Even if that may be the case, I still have the Province Leaders and your father captured,_ " Agahnim reminded Zelda.

"Not anymore!"

Behind Agahnim, the doors to the meeting room were suddenly open revealing a tall Gerudo woman with flowing red hair and wielding a scimitar that had two edges on the blade. Behind her, several Guards had been knocked out while a big Goron with white spiky hair stood over them along with Zelda's father Rhoam a large Zora whose head resembled a whale shark's and Sahasrahla along with several others.

" _Urbosa!_ " Agahnim turned around to face the tall Gerudo woman. " _How did you free yourself?_ "

"That's 'Lady' Urbosa to you, leech," the tall Gerudo woman insisted. "While you were busy chatting up a storm out here, Daruk used his protection ability to push several Guards away from him which distracted them long enough for me to deal with the others. King Dorephan helped too using his own strength, along with Sahasrahla who's been studying up on magic enough to use his own staff to send energy blasts that can stun people."

"I should never have trusted you, Agahnim," Rhoam said angrily. "Now release my Guards from your control, and give yourself up!"

Furrowing his brow, Agahnim held up his left hand. " _Your words mean nothing when compared to the Triforce of Power's might!_ "

As Agahnim's left hand glowed, Zelda's and Link's left hands did the same. Then to their amazement, three golden triangular pieces floated upwards forming a complete Triforce.

" _Finally!_ " Agahnim's eyes widened. " _The Triforce is in my grasp!_ "

Zelda then noticed a shadowy figure appear over Agahnim, which resembled a blue humanoid pig with no eyes. At the same time, seven bright lights appeared all around Agahnim from above. These lights in turn became seven floating figures which included Osfala, Seres, Irene, Gulley, Rosso, Queen Oren, and a small elderly woman wearing a round bamboo hat.

"Grandmother Impa!" Paya exclaimed, recognizing the seventh individual.

"Sorry for the long wait, Paya," said the elderly woman as she smiled. "But first, let us deal with Ganon and his avatar Agahnim."

Osfala and the others nodded, directing their hands down at the blue pig. Seven beams of white energy shot out, causing both the pig and Agahnim to flinch and cry out in pain.

"Now, Link," Impa commanded. "Use the Master Sword to strike down Agahnim before Ganon manifests through him!"

Without hesitation, Link raised the Master Sword above his head. As the Master Sword glowed brightly, Agahnim turned to face Link who plunged the blade straight into Agahnim's chest. Once this happened, the Triforce vanished and the seven individuals landed safely on the floor.

To be continued…


	21. 21st Entry: Knighting Ceremony

21st Entry: Knighting Ceremony

In wake of the incident at Hyrule Castle, it was declared by Premier Rhoam that Link would be promoted to a full-fledged Knight in wake of his bravery at defeating Agahnim whose death was declared as an act of self-defense. So Zelda was given the privilege of knighting Link herself, since she was given the appointment of being the new Champions' Commander. The Champions in turn were elected by each Province Leader, with the four favorites being chosen which were: Yunobo, Mipha, Riju, and Revali. In addition, Zelda was told to make regular journeys to the Spring of Power for the next four months in order to continue her training for unlocking the Sealing Power.

"It's too bad that Teba and Sidon weren't picked as Champions, but they didn't seem upset when I told them," Zelda said to Impa who was helping her put on a blue medieval dress with gold embroidery and white lining underneath. "Now remind me why I have to wear this dress again. It's kind of…old-fashioned if you ask me."

"Your mother wore this dress before you," Impa said. "So it seems fitting that you should wear it on this special day."

Zelda flinched. "You knew my mother?"

"Of course," Impa smiled. "She would often visit Kakariko Village and tell me all about you along with Link. That's how I knew your names when I sent the message to Purah."

"But why didn't my father tell me about you?" Zelda asked. "And for that matter, why couldn't I find any information about you on the Hyrule Network?"

"Since your mother's death was never explained, alongside that of Link's uncle soon after, Premier Rhoam thought it best to remove any information about me from the Hyrule Network in case the killer came looking for me," Impa explained. "But as the raid on Kakariko Village showed, that didn't prevent Agahnim from finding out who I was."

"Then Agahnim really…killed my mother, and Link's uncle?"

Reluctantly, Impa nodded. "I learned about this after arriving in the Sacred Realm, where I was met by a young blue-haired woman named Lana. She told me it was her who placed the Triforce Shards across Hyrule, along with the six crystals to summon the resting place of the Triforce of Courage once Agahnim collected enough shards to create the Triforce of Power and in your case the Triforce of Wisdom."

Looking down at her left hand, Zelda said, "So what happened to the entire Triforce?"

"It went back to the Sacred Realm, as it always does when a wish is made or no one claims it."

"Then if what Agahnim said is true, and that the Triforce did manifest in this land long before Calamity Ganon appeared then why didn't it appear before during the Great Calamity or after the Hero's Resurrection?"

"By the time Calamity Ganon showed up, the Triforce pieces had settled into three places that became the Springs of Power Wisdom and Courage. That's why your father is sending you those places, so you can absorb what is left of the Triforce pieces from this timeline to unlock your Sealing Power."

"But how can the Triforce simultaneously appear here when they already exist?" Zelda groaned. "This new information about multiple timelines and different evils is really confusing me."

"I wouldn't worry about those things now, especially since you have a speech to memorize in order to give Link a proper knighting," Impa reminded.

"Right, I almost forgot," Zelda realized and went over to her table where a piece of paper was that had her knighting speech written in ink.

###

At the Sacred Ground Ruins near Hyrule Castle, Zelda stood before Link who knelt before her with the Master Sword strapped to his back. Nearby, Riju Yunobo Revali and Mipha stood wearing blue clothing that was embroidered with the symbols of each Divine Beast which were a camel salamander bird and elephant respectively.

"Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness," Zelda began, holding out her right hand. "You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity. And you have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the Goddess Hylia. Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, across the seas, retrieving the golden power forged by the Goddesses, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight, the sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the Hero. We pray for your protection, and that — we hope the two of you will grow stronger together as one."

While Zelda lowered her hand, the others clapped politely while Link looked up at her.

Seeing his determined expression made Zelda feel somehow embarrassed, but she hid that with a serious look. "From this day forward I appoint you as my official Knight, Link of the Hylian Knights. May you honor this title well, for you are officially the youngest Knight in the great land of Hyrule."

Zelda then took the Master Sword from Link's scabbard and patted each of his shoulders with the sword's tip.

"Now arise, Sir Link of the Hylian Knights," Zelda announced as she raised the Master Sword and Link rose to his feet.

This time, the others clapped more strongly as Link's hand brushed Zelda's when he took the Master Sword from her. Not expecting this, Zelda instinctively pulled her hand away making Link look at her with concern. Zelda responded by smiling nervously, while the others approached her and Link.

"Is something wrong?" Riju asked, standing next to Zelda. "Your cheeks look a little red."

"They are?" Zelda placed her hands against her cheeks, which felt warm. "Oh, I didn't notice that until now."

"I hope this doesn't mean you're catching a cold," Revali responded snidely. "It would seem unfitting for our Commander to get sick right off the bat."

"Lay off, Revali," Yunobo insisted. But as Revali glared at him, Yunobo's eyes looked downward. "I mean, I'm sorry…"

Mipha, meanwhile, stared silently at Link and placed a hand over her heart. Nearby, Paya was watching from behind a tree staring enviously at the group.

To be continued…


	22. 22nd Entry: Runes and Prayers

**Up till now, I've been telling the story from Zelda's perspective in the third person. But at the beginning of this chapter, I'm briefly switching to Paya's perspective before going back to Zelda's. Also, I will be referring to the horse-shaped motorbikes that the characters have as Master Cycle Zeros from here on out (which I didn't know about until recently as I was mainly basing them off of the Master Cycle that Link rides in** ** _Mario Kart 8_** **). Hopefully, that doesn't make things too confusing for those who've been keeping up with the story thus far.**

22nd Entry: Runes and Prayers

"You wish you could be of more use to them, right?"

Surprised, Paya looked down behind her and saw a little girl with white hair tied into buns with gold clasps shaped like an owl head tan skin and round spectacles.

"Great-Aunt Purah!" Paya exclaimed. "How did you get here? And I thought you didn't want to be seen after—

"I'm only here because my sister Impa told me to!" The little girl known as Purah snapped. Then she cleared her throat. "Here, take this."

From a pocket in her dress, Purah pulled out a Sheikah Slate and gave it to Paya who looked slightly baffled.

"This is my Sheikah Slate," Paya realized. "I noticed it was missing this morning right before I set out from Kakariko Village with Grandmother Impa. Did you take it?"

"I upgraded it, actually, with Sheikah Runes," Purah said.

"The Runes? You mean the same ones that give these slates the power to take pictures, send messages in written and audible form, access the Hyrule Network, create maps, and summon the Master Cycle Zeros that we use for transportation now?"

"These ones are different, though," replied Purah. "I've added the Sheikah Sensor function, which locates Shrines that haven't been accessed yet, and older Runes that the Hero used after his Resurrection such as Remote Bombs Magnesis Stasis and Cryonis. But to access the latter Runes, you must find the Shrines that contain them."

Looking down at the Sheikah Slate in her hands, Paya nodded. "All right, I will find them and learn how to better defend myself while I'm at it."

"With what?" Purah asked.

"During the school's summer break, I'm going to be taking private sword-fighting lessons on how to use the Eightfold Blade at the Ta'loh Naeg Shrine."

Adjusting her glasses, Purah responded, "I've heard that Shrine contains Guardian Scouts, which were smaller versions of the large Guardians that once served Hyrule before they were corrupted by Malice, though legend has it that Ta'loh Naeg himself was able to take control of them as a means to test the Hero. Now it's been confirmed the Moblins and Bokoblins that have been attacking were revived due to the regular Blood Moons, though I'm not sure if the same can be said for the Guardian Scouts which were slain by the Hero 1000 years ago."

###

A week later, Zelda traveled to the Spring of Power which was located in the East Akkala Province with the other Champions and Paya. There, they encountered a flying orange dragon with horns called Dinraal which thanked Link for freeing Naydra by offering one of her scales to present to the spring itself. Once at the spring, Link presented it to the Goddess Statue there which in turn revealed a hidden Shrine. While Zelda proceeded to bathe in the spring, which was cooler temperature-wise compared to the previous one, Link entered the Shrine along with Paya who was hoping to find one of the four Rune powers.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if the only reason my father brought back the Champions was so I could have more bodyguards besides Link," Zelda remarked after she bathed in the spring for an hour with nothing unusual happening in that time.

"That's not true," Yunobo insisted. "We, uh, found a Shrine."

"But whatever's in that Shrine may or may not be useful," Revali pointed out. "Now what I don't get is what that dragon meant when it said Link freed Naydra."

Zelda hesitated to answer.

"There's no point in hiding anything from us," Riju stated. "After all, we got involved in that incident at Hyrule Castle with Agahnim which you and Link seemed to understand better than we did."

"I agree," Mipha concurred. "While you told me some of it before, like the Triforce Shards and the prophetic dreams you've been having lately, I'm still unclear about the Sages thing as well as Agahnim's motivation in general."

While Link and Paya emerged from the Shrine carrying a Flamespear, which Yunobo took, Zelda explained everything to the others about the diary the encounter with Naydra the crystals and what Sahasrahla said. The four Champions listened intently, without making any interruptions.

"Sounds pretty crazy, but based on what I witnessed at Hyrule Castle…I almost feel inclined to believe it," Revali remarked once Zelda finished speaking.

"Yet if Ganon was stopped before he could revive himself with Agahnim's help, we've technically won, right?" Riju asked.

"I'm not sure," Zelda said. "He said that even after Ganon was defeated, his spirit still lingered which eventually manifested as Calamity Ganon. Therefore, he may not be completely gone and could come back at any moment so we should be ready when that happens."

"But how will we know if he's returned?" Mipha wondered. "Considering how many years it took for Agahnim to put his plan into motion, the only reason he was stopped was thanks to the strange diary and your dreams, Zelda."

"That may be true, but this time we should be more proactive," Zelda responded. "And the sooner I learn how to unlock this Sealing Power I have, the better chance we'll have to stop Ganon for good."

###

That night as everyone decided to make camp near the Spring of Power, Zelda had a strange dream where she was in complete darkness unable to make out anything. Then a female figure appeared before her, who was glowing radiantly. Zelda watched as the female figure's form changed in appearance constantly, saying something that Zelda's pointed Hylian ears couldn't pick up. As she woke up, the regular moon was overhead and Link was asleep along with the others. Without making too much noise, Zelda decided to change back into her white dress and enter the Spring of Power once again.

"Hylia, Goddess of Hyrule," Zelda began, clasping her hands and closing her eyes. "Though I see you in my dreams, I am unable to hear your voice. Unless I'm mistaken, and the dream was just a manifestation of my own fears, please give me a sign otherwise. If I don't unlock this power that my mother told me about, and my grandmother before her, Ganon will return and those I care about the most will be in danger."

Pausing, Zelda listened carefully but heard nothing except the waterfall behind the Goddess Statue and the chirping frogs on the lily pads nearby.

To be continued…


	23. 23rd Entry: Strange Paintings

23rd Entry: Strange Paintings

"Why?" Zelda opened her eyes and glared up at the Goddess Statue. "Aside from when I possessed the Triforce of Wisdom, I haven't felt or heard anything that would indicate this power I'm supposed to unlock. My father thinks I shouldn't become a Scholar when I graduate from Castle Town, despite my belief that we can learn a lot from the past in order to move toward a better future. But given everything that's happened lately, with Agahnim and the Sages, it defies all logical reason and so I don't understand it. Paya believes I should just accept these things, no matter how illogical they are, and yet from an intellectual perspective I feel the need to analyze them until they are fully understood. Is that what you want from me, Hylia? Blind faith?"

Again, Zelda heard nothing unusual. Frowning, she clenched her hands and made splashes in the water as she lowered them forcefully.

"It's not fair," Zelda murmured. "Link was chosen by the Master Sword to be the Hero of this generation, Impa and the others awakened as Sages like their ancestors before them, so why do the holy powers that are my birthright as the human embodiment of the Goddess Hylia elude my grasp? What is wrong with me? Damn you!"

Zelda then started silently crying, when ripples in the water made her look back. It was Link, and he was wading through the water towards her.

"I suppose you heard everything," Zelda guessed, turning away from Link. "Pathetic, isn't it? That I got all worked up over a dream that I'm pretty sure wasn't predicting the future like the others, but was my worries about letting everyone down being manifested."

In response, Link said nothing.

Turning around again, Zelda snapped, "You know, I wish sometimes you would just say something instead of this silent act you've been doing since we were kids! I know the death of your uncle was traumatizing to the point where you couldn't speak, but it's time you got over that since you murdered the man who killed him in cold blood!"

Link flinched, and looked downward.

Zelda put her hands to her mouth. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said. It's just…"

As Zelda resumed her cries, Link pulled her closer to him and they stood together in the spring for a while as the moon rose higher.

###

On the way back to Hyrule Castle from the Spring of Power, Zelda and the others passed through Kakariko Village where they stopped in front of Impa's home to drop off Paya.

"If it's any comfort, I didn't find any of the Rune powers Purah mentioned at the Tutsuwa Nima Shrine by the Spring of Power," Paya said to Zelda. "So I'm basically back to square one."

"I'm sure you'll find the Rune powers," Zelda responded sympathetically. "And good luck with your sword training at Ta'loh Naeg Shrine."

Smiling, Paya nodded, "Thank you."

As Zelda turned away, she briefly noticed Paya gazing at Link who seemed indifferent. Zelda wasn't sure how to feel about this, though thinking about the previous night made her get on Link's Epona model Master Cycle Zero and not say anything as he took off. Riju followed behind on her golden Master Cycle Zero while Mipha rode in the Sand Seal-shaped sidecar. Then as Revali took to the skies, Yunobo rolled along on his back. From there, the group went their separate ways to their own homes.

Back at Hyrule Castle the Guards, who were all back to normal including their armor which had returned to its usual blue-gray color after Agahnim was defeated, waved at Zelda and Link as they appeared to be cleaning the castle walls. Upon closer inspection, there were painted figures on the castle walls which resembled Hyrule Guards only their armor was yellow-orange instead.

"Where did these come from?" Zelda asked after she got off from Link's motorbike.

"It's unclear at the moment, Zelda," said the Captain of the Guards, whose armor was red again. "But it looks like vandalism to me, so Premier Rhoam ordered us to clean it up as best we can though the paintings stubbornly refuse to come off no matter what cleaning methods we use."

"Maybe if I took a sample of the paint, I could see what its composition is and determine the best way to clean it off," Zelda suggested, taking a glass jar and flint from her leather pouch.

Approaching one of the painted Guard figures, Zelda first took a picture of it with the Sheikah Slate and then used the flint to scrape off some of the paint dust into the glass jar. Sealing the jar up tight, she returned to her room and immediately conducted a series of scientific tests on the dust. Then she checked the Sheikah Slate's analysis for further confirmation, and was surprised by the results.

"I don't believe this," Zelda winced while Link gave her a confused look. "Though the tests and Sheikah Slate claim the material is paint, there are traces of metal similar to the armor worn by the Hyrule Guards and magic that I'm unfamiliar with. On top of that, the paint itself isn't quite the same as the kind that's used by most painters in Hyrule. So whoever painted those figures isn't from Hyrule, and knows how to use magic."

Just then, Premier Rhoam suddenly came into Zelda's room forcing Link to immediately bow.

"Father!" Zelda exclaimed. "Why didn't you knock?"

"Since you didn't come to me straight away upon returning, I became worried," Rhoam explained. "Especially after what recently happened at the Temple of Time."

"You mean the church?" Zelda said.

In response, Rhoam nodded. "Earlier today, Hyrule Castle was hit by a strange tremor that seemed to originate from the Temple of Time's graveyard."

"The Champions and I must've been far enough away from the tremor's epicenter, because we didn't feel anything at Kakariko Village," Zelda responded.

"Well, that's good," Rhoam sighed with relief. "Though it's unclear how the Priest and his daughter Seres are doing, let alone if the Temple of Time is still intact, since the Great Plateau Sheikah Tower is mysteriously not functioning. The Captain of the Guards' son, who's a Guard-in-Training, insisted upon investigating the matter himself but so far he hasn't returned."

"Link and I could go check it out," Zelda offered.

"No," Rhoam insisted. "You will remain here until we have further knowledge of the situation."

"But I'm the Champions' Commander," Zelda argued. "Shouldn't I have the authority to investigate this situation myself so long as the Champions accompany me?"

"Your mission is to unlock the Sealing Power, not get involved with Hyrule's problems."

"Then what about the Champions? Isn't it their job to protect Hyrule?"

"Yes, by learning how to pilot the Divine Beasts. Though that will take some time, since they have yet to be reactivated."

"So in the meantime, can't we check out the situation and let you know what's going on?"

Rhoam's brow furrowed. "Fine, but if something bad has happened to the Captain's son then return to Hyrule Castle straight away and inform either me or the Captain."

"We will, Father," Zelda nodded, while Link did the same.

To be continued…


	24. 24th Entry: The Black Fissure

24th Entry: The Black Fissure

In front of Castle Town, Zelda and Link quietly entered through the gates to find the courtyard to be completely empty while the buildings were still intact including the Temple of Time. As for the Sheikah Tower, it was indeed turned off as indicated by its orange light.

"This is just like the Dueling Peaks incident all over again," Zelda muttered. "Maybe I should go reactivate the Sheikah Tower, while you go find the Captain's son."

Link nodded, and took off. Meanwhile, Zelda climbed the Sheikah Tower and reactivated it. Looking at the Temple of Time, she located the nearby graveyard and saw a fallen person with a bald head wearing brown clothes with a shovel next to them.

"That looks like Dampé, the Grave Keeper," Zelda realized. "He looks hurt."

Taking out her Paraglider, which she managed to pack before leaving Hyrule Castle, Zelda took off from the Sheikah Tower and landed in the graveyard. Making her way over to Dampé, she shook him awake.

"Are you okay, Dampé?" Zelda asked as the big bald man shook his head groggily.

"Z-Zelda?" The bald man flinched. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard there was a tremor that came from this place," Zelda responded. "Do you know anything about it?"

"Uh, yeah," Dampé answered. "This morning, the ground shook real bad. Thinkin' the graves were damaged, I went from my house to take a look and then was hit from behind."

"Did you see who attacked you?"

Dampé shook his head. "Nuh-uh, I didn't see nobody."

Nearby, Zelda noticed Link walking out of the Temple of Time's entrance with the Priest who wore a blue cape and cap with round glasses.

"Over here, Link!" Zelda called, getting Link's attention.

Link noticed her and walked into the graveyard accompanied by the Priest who looked horrified.

"My Seres…" the Priest muttered. "That poor boy…"

"Are you talking about the Captain's son?" Zelda said to the Priest. "Did he come here?"

"He did," the Priest replied. "But he was unable to stop him…"

"Him?" Zelda flinched. "Who are you talking about?"

"A man, who came out of the walls, and turned my Seres into…"

The Priest went silent, causing Zelda grab his shoulders. "Into what?"

"I can't say it," the Priest said. "It's horrible, just horrible…"

"Did you see Seres or the Captain's son inside the temple?" Zelda asked Link.

In turn, Link shook his head and then indicated that Zelda should follow him.

"I'll be right back," Zelda said to the Priest. "You stay here with Dampé."

Then Zelda let go of the Priest and followed Link into the Temple of Time. Inside was a renovated Goddess Statue, which was the same one Link offered a crystal to not too long ago, red velvet flooring and cushioned seats while a raised wooden platform and pew stood beneath the statue. Apart from the vaulted ceiling, which was also renovated, and stain-glass windows depicting various images of the Hero of Hyrule there were two things that Zelda had never seen before. One was a strange crack in the wall behind the Goddess statue that was black with multiple colors pulsating from it, and the other was a framed portrait depicting the Captain's son who had medium curled blond hair and wore a red military uniform.

"It's the same art style as the paintings on the castle walls, and made from the same paint," Zelda noticed, scanning the portrait with her Sheikah Slate. "We should alert my father, because it's clear that someone kidnapped Seres. Plus, that fissure in the back may have been how the kidnapper got in and out of here without anyone noticing."

###

Once Rhoam and the Captain showed up with an escort of guards, Zelda told them what happened while Dampé and the Priest backed her up. Link then showed the portrait to the Captain, who looked distraught.

"What sick man would leave a portrait of my son here and take off with the Priest's daughter?" The Captain grumbled. "It's unforgivable!"

"No, Captain," the Priest spoke up. "That portrait…is your son."

Rhoam looked skeptical. "Explain."

"As the man tried to leave with my Seres, the Captain's son tried to stop him," the Priest explained. "But he…got turned into a portrait, just like my daughter."

"How is that possible?" The Captain asked. "There's no magic in Hyrule that can transform a person into a painting, right?"

"I don't think whoever did this is from Hyrule," Zelda spoke up, causing the Captain to give her a confused look. "After analyzing a sample of the paintings from the castle walls, I discovered the paint wasn't like the kind that's found in Hyrule and I found traces of magic that weren't recognizable along with metal that was similar to Hyrule Guard armor."

"Then you're saying it's possible the paintings at the castle walls are real people, just like this portrait is really my son," the Captain said, looking at the portrait again more horrifiedly. "And the perpetrator…isn't from Hyrule?"

"Correct," Zelda confirmed. "Though the strange fissure that's in the temple now may clue us in on where the kidnapper went."

"Perhaps, but the Temple of Time will be off-limits for now until we find out what this fissure is," Rhoam declared.

"Are you talking about a black line with pretty colors in it?" Dampé asked.

"Yes," Zelda said. "Is there another one?"

"Near the Graveyard," Dampé responded. "I found it right before getting knocked out."

So everyone followed Dampé north of the Temple of Time's graveyard where they climbed up to a ledge that had the same mysterious crack in its rocky wall. As a result, Rhoam decided to declare the whole Great Plateau area off-limits with Guards watching it day and night to make sure nobody wandered inside by accident. Meanwhile, the Guard paintings on the Hyrule Castle walls seemed to multiply in the days that followed. So Zelda took this opportunity to travel with Link to Sahasrahla's home in Kakariko Village.

"If what you're saying is true, Zelda, then this means that legend I told you about the mirror world may be coming true just like the one that involved Agahnim," Sahasrahla remarked after Zelda told him about what she saw at the Temple of Time while Link stood guard outside. "And if that's the case, then my pupil Osfala may be in danger since I recently sent him to the South Lomei Labyrinth to investigate some strange activity that's been reported there."

To be continued…


	25. 25th Entry: Ravio's Shop

25th Entry: Ravio's Shop

"Did Osfala take anything to defend himself?" Zelda asked.

"Well, he did rent this strange object called the Sand Rod from a merchant called Ravio," Sahasrahla responded. "Though I've never heard of such a merchant before."

"Then maybe this merchant's got something to do with the kidnapper," Zelda speculated. "Did Osfala say where Ravio is?"

"I think he said Ravio has a shop in Hateno Village, that used to be a vacant house."

"So what was Osfala doing in Hateno Village?"

"Speaking to Purah and Robbie about their research on reactivating the Divine Beasts, so that I may be able to help with my knowledge on them."

"Oh, does my father know?"

"He does, and hopes they may be activated soon to face whatever danger may threaten Hyrule."

"Let's hope that danger doesn't affect Hyrule first, though I'm afraid it might in wake of this recent incident."

Sahasrahla looked concerned. "Has that diary you mentioned before say anything about the mirror world?"

"No," Zelda shook her head and showed Sahasrahla the blue diary with the Triforce symbol on it. "There's not a lot written in it."

Taking a look at the pages in the diary, Sahasrahla seemed baffled. "Hmm, I can't seem to find anything. Is this really the same diary that mentioned the Triforce of Wisdom?"

"It is, but for some reason only Link and I can read the words," Zelda explained.

Placing the diary on a nearby table, Sahasrahla picked up his staff and waved it over the diary while closing his eyes. When he opened them, he gave the diary back to Zelda.

"It seems this diary originated from the Sacred Realm," Sahasrahla stated. "Originally belonging to the Princess who contained Calamity Ganon's power before the Hero's Resurrection, it has now been turned into a physical record of sorts for all the memories of the Princesses that have come before. That is why you can read it, because they're your ancestors, and Link due to his ancestors' strong connection to them."

"But the passages that are in the diary now only appeared right before something related to them happened," Zelda said. "The same goes for these prophetic dreams I've been having lately."

"Then maybe this woman Impa mentioned meeting in the Sacred Realm, whom she said was named 'Lana,' is responsible for making these passages appear in the diary to warn you of what's to come," Sahasrahla suggested. "And she might be the cause of your prophetic dreams, since she gave me one right before Agahnim tried to kill your father."

Zelda looked down at the diary. "So you don't think either the diary or the dreams are a sign that my Sealing Power is awakening?"

"They might be, but I'm not sure. The last Princess who unlocked her Sealing Power did so when she least expected it."

###

Arriving in Hateno Village, Zelda and Link made their way to a house with a rabbit-shaped logo on its roof over a sign that said, 'Ravio's Shop' in sloppy handwriting. Inside, they noticed three tables arranged in a horseshoe-shaped pattern with several objects placed on them along with price tags. But what drew their attention was the person across from them, who wore a purple robe and hat shaped like a rabbit head with a turquoise-and-black scarf wrapped around their neck in order to cover the lower-half of their face. Above them flew a strange bird that was white with blue wings and red eyes.

"Look, Sheerow, more customers!" The purple-robed figure exclaimed in a muffled male voice. "Welcome to my shop! I'm Ravio, the owner. If you see anything you like, let me know and I'll tell you the rental price of each item."

"We actually wanted to talk to you about a previous customer named Osfala," Zelda said. "Have you seen him?"

"Did he happen to wear a yellow robe and have white hair?" Ravio asked.

"Yes," Zelda confirmed.

"I think I saw him two days ago," Ravio responded. "Said he was going to a labyrinth in the desert, so I recommended that he take the Sand Rod."

"Now where did you get this Sand Rod?"

Ravio tilted his head sideways. "Pardon?"

"The Sand Rod doesn't exist on the Hyrule Network's list of registered magical items, or the merchant's stock of manufactured items for that matter," Zelda informed Ravio. "So either you're selling illegal stuff, or possibly the same person who vandalized the Hyrule Castle walls turned the Captain of the Guards' son into a portrait and kidnapped a Priest's daughter."

"Whoa, chill out, Princess!" Ravio then paused and corrected himself, "Er, I mean, ma'am. I'm just an honest merchant who simply hasn't registered my items yet. Hence, why I'm renting these items first before putting them on the market. It will give me an idea of the supply and demand here in Hyrule, so I can take full advantage of these items' usefulness to others."

"Then I take it you're not originally from Hyrule?" Zelda questioned.

"Um, no, I'm…actually from a land far away from here."

"Like where? Termina? Holodrum? Labrynna?"

"Much farther than those places. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Ravio hesitated to answer, and looked at Link. "So what's your deal? Are you the lady's bodyguard or something?"

Link said nothing.

"He's my personal Knight," Zelda answered. "And I'm the daughter of Hyrule's Premier. So if you don't answer my question, there will be consequences."

The strange bird that Ravio called Sheerow started chirping nervously.

"All right, I hear you!" Ravio snapped and folded his arms. "Okay, Premier's Daughter, the land I come from is called…Lorule."

"Lorule?" Zelda looked doubtful. "Never heard of it. How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Because you said yourself that my items don't originate from Hyrule. Now what I don't understand is why you're accusing me of being a vandal and a kidnapper?"

"It just seems awfully coincidental that you should show up right when a mysterious tremor hit Hyrule Castle, followed by a series of strange criminal acts caused by an unknown perpetrator. Plus, you happen to be selling things that don't originate from Hyrule when the perpetrator is believed to be using magic that isn't recognized by Hyrule standards."

"Did a strange fissure appear when this tremor hit?"

Zelda flinched. "How did you know?"

"I used one to get here, from Lorule."

"Then do you know who the mysterious perpetrator is? I'm assuming he came from the same place as you."

"He did, though I was actually following someone else. This whole merchant thing was just a set-up to collect information to see if I could find the person I'm looking for."

"Is this person important to you?"

Ravio nodded and sighed. "She was my responsibility, and then I let her get away. If I don't find her, I'm going to be in big trouble."

To be continued…


	26. 26th Entry: Special Bracelet

26th Entry: Special Bracelet

Then Ravio turned away and appeared to be crying, while Sheerow tried to comfort him.

Zelda watched this display with a mixture of doubt and concern before saying, "If you agree to help me identify the mysterious perpetrator, I'll help you find this girl you're looking for."

"You will?" Ravio's head seemed to perk up.

"Of course," Zelda smiled. "You clearly came all this way to find her, so it seems only fair that you should get a little help being in a new land and all."

This made Ravio turn around and shake Zelda's hand vigorously. "Premier's Daughter, you've got yourself a deal! And you too, Mr. Knight!"

Link seemed confused and pointed at himself.

"As a sign of my gratitude, I'll let you take one item here free of charge," Ravio said and swept his hand across the one-room house. "So come on! Pick anything that catches your eye!"

So Zelda glanced at the objects on the tables, which included: a set of bombs, a boomerang, an ordinary bow, a hammer, a Hookshot, and three rods that were blue red and green. Then at the far back was a gold bracelet with an inset clear gem and intricate carvings on it. Curious, Zelda walked past Ravio and picked up the bracelet.

"Oh, that item's not for sale," Ravio said, noticing what Zelda was holding.

"But you said I could take any item free of charge," Zelda pointed out, looking irritated.

"Well, the bracelet is…special," replied Ravio.

"How so?"

Ravio scratched the back of his head. "I found it in some old ruins back in Lorule, so it's probably got some historic value. Originally, I was going to ask the Masked Elder about the bracelet but then some crazy stuff happened and I wound up here."

"Maybe I could be of some help," Zelda offered. "In addition to finding the girl you're looking for, I'll borrow this bracelet and see if I can determine its historic value for you. Does that sound reasonable? I promise I'll give it back when I'm done examining it."

"Okay," Ravio reluctantly agreed. "Just…don't lose it or anything."

Zelda nodded, and left the shop with the bracelet on her left wrist while Link followed after her.

###

After calling the other Champions on her Sheikah Slate, Zelda and Link headed for the South Lomei Labyrinth which was in the Gerudo Desert near the final resting place of the Divine Beast Vah Naboris.

"Shouldn't we have told your father where we were going?" Mipha asked, looking down at the labyrinth in the canyon below nervously.

"If we did that, he would've told us to stay put and sent an armed escort that might have taken longer to get here," Zelda insisted.

"Seems you have no respect for your father's authority, even though he is the Premier of Hyrule," Revali said sarcastically.

"She's doing this out of concern for Osfala's life," Riju pointed out. "Besides, if this does lead us to the mysterious perpetrator who vandalized the Hyrule Castle walls and kidnapped Seres we'll be considered heroes for catching the guy."

"That is true," Revali admitted. "So what's your plan, Zelda?"

"I was thinking of having you fly down there to scout out the area, while Link Mipha Riju and I use our Paragliders to get into the labyrinth itself," Zelda said.

"What about me?" Yunobo asked.

"Since you're too heavy for a Paraglider, you'll have to stay here and alert the authorities in case something goes wrong," Zelda determined. "I know it doesn't sound fair, Yunobo, but I'm not sure if you could roll into the labyrinth since it's in an isolated canyon."

"No, it's fine," Yunobo responded, though he clearly looked disappointed. "Though if you do find an entrance that's big enough for me, let me know, okay?"

"Sure," Zelda nodded and took out her Paraglider.

While Revali soared down to the South Lomei Labyrinth, Zelda and the others minus Yunobo followed on their Paragliders. Once inside, they navigated through the labyrinth's sharp turns and corners with Revali occasionally flying above to check where they were in relation to the labyrinth's center. At certain points, their path was blocked by strange patches of purple-black substance with the same orange eyes that were on Naydra when she was afflicted by Malice. But they quickly discovered that these could be eliminated by either destroying the eyes or in Link's case he merely swung the Master Sword which shot blasts of energy that automatically disintegrated the patches.

"It seems that sword really is the Blade of Evil's Bane, after all," Revali noted after watching Link destroy another purple-black patch with the Master Sword. "Too bad I wasn't chosen by it."

Just then, a scream echoed from down the lane.

"That sounded like Osfala," Zelda recognized. "Come on, guys! He might be in trouble!"

As Zelda ran with her Royal Bow out, the others were right behind her. They soon came to the labyrinth's center, where a Shrine stood. But what drew their attention was Osfala, who was being launched into the air by a bright beam of light-purple energy. Behind him stood a tall man with pale skin and curly red hair who was holding a gold scepter that had a multicolored flame emanating from it. Then at the feet of Zelda and the others lay a hooded figure with a slender body and was holding a golden staff that had an upside-down Triforce symbol adorned on top.

"It seems your Sealing Power isn't very strong here, Princess," the man said menacingly. "Now I shall turn this foolish Sage into a lovely portrait, just like that little lamb from the temple."

As the man's scepter glowed brighter, Osfala cried out in pain as his whole body disintegrated into the light. In his place stood a framed portrait of Osfala, which floated down to the tall man's open hand. It was then that he noticed Zelda and the others, looking surprised.

"What's this?" The man then hid his surprise with a grin. "It seems the Princess of this world has decided to grace us with her presence."

To be continued…


	27. 27th Entry: Unexplained Awakening

27th Entry: Unexplained Awakening

"I'm no Princess," Zelda insisted, putting an arrow into her Royal Bow and pointing it at the tall pale man with the curly red hair. "My name is Zelda, daughter of Hyrule's Premier and Commander of the Champions. Are you the one who vandalized the Hyrule Castle walls and turned the Captain of the Guards' son into a portrait?"

"Ah, you've seen my prior work," the tall man acknowledged gleefully. "But those were nothing compared to Seres. Her screams were so cute and innocent they filled my cold heart with joy. Not to mention her portrait is one of the few beautiful things in this ugly world."

In the same hand the held the Osfala portrait, the tall man made another portrait appear out of thin air that depicted Seres.

"You monster!" Zelda snapped, pulling the bowstring back.

"Such harsh words," the tall man said, looking disappointed. "Yet that doesn't change the fact that I need you to revive Ganon."

"Not necessarily, Yuga," the hooded figure responded in a female voice, who got up and held the golden staff in a defensive position. "Take me instead, since I have the power you need to bring the Ganon back."

The man who was apparently called Yuga made a sharp laugh. "Don't try to change my mind, Princess. For all I know, this Zelda could be planning to seal me away right now and I can't let that happen before my plan comes to fruition."

Then Yuga's scepter flashed and his image appeared on the wall parallel to the Shrine. His image then moved along the wall till it was perpendicular to Zelda, where he emerged from the wall and pointed his scepter at Zelda. A bright light flashed, and Zelda's image was on a new portrait that appeared. While Link and the other Champions were stunned, the hooded figure gripped her staff tighter.

"You'll pay for that, Yuga!" The hooded figure's staff lit up and a bright yellow flash followed.

But Yuga managed to dodge it after merging with the wall behind him, and then he proceeded to use his scepter to place Link's image onto a nearby wall along with those of the other Champions. Then appearing behind the hooded figure, Yuga used his scepter on her just as she turned around. In her place was a portrait depicting a young woman who looked identical to Zelda, only her hair was dark instead of blonde while her eyes were crimson-red instead of bright-blue. On top of that, her blouse was purple which complemented the dark-purple hood she wore her pants were gray and her boots were black.

"Seems I was able to kill two birds with one stone," Yuga grinned. "With another Sage and two Princesses in my possession, Ganon will be revived for sure!"

As Yuga proceeded to pick up the Zelda-lookalike's portrait, Zelda's portrait suddenly glowed and Zelda appeared in the flesh with the bracelet she got from Ravio giving off a purple light from the gem.

"Impossible!" Yuga snapped. "How did you — the Master Bracelet!"

Zelda looked at the bracelet in confusion and then noticed Yuga running away. She was about to follow him, when she noticed images of Link and the four Champions on the nearby walls.

"Oh, no," Zelda murmured. "This is all my fault. I should've talked to my father first, or dodged sooner…if only my Sealing Power had awakened. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

Walking over to Link's image, Zelda pressed her left hand against his. As her tears fell, something glimmered which caught her attention. Instead of the bracelet glowing again, the Triforce symbol appeared on her right hand with the left triangle highlighted. Then to her amazement, Link's image glowed and then he emerged from the wall holding her left hand.

"Goddess!" Zelda exclaimed. "Are you all right, Link?"

In response, Link nodded and looked around baffled.

"I'm not sure what happened either, but let me try something," Zelda responded and walked over to Mipha's image.

Just like with Link, Mipha emerged from the wall after Zelda touched her image by the hand.

"It worked!" Zelda said with relief.

Mipha looked down at herself. "What did you do?"

Instead of answering, Zelda proceeded to touch Riju and Revali's images which made them emerge from the walls. Afterwards, Zelda's Sheikah Slate vibrated.

" _Zelda, it's Yunobo,_ " Yunobo's voice responded nervously. " _What's going on down there? I saw this weird guy exit the labyrinth and then he disappeared into a cliff wall._ "

"Which way did this guy head?" Zelda asked.

" _North._ "

"Then tell my father about this man right away. His name is Yuga, and he's the one who vandalized the castle walls and kidnapped Seres. We encountered him down here, but he managed to kidnap Osfala and someone else he apparently knew."

" _Do you need help getting out of the labyrinth?_ "

"No, we'll get out ourselves," Zelda answered. "And after you warn my father, try to get in touch with Paya so she can tell Impa and let Sahasrahla know what's going on."

" _O-Okay,_ " Yunobo replied. " _But I'm kind of nervous about talking to Paya._ "

"Why's that?"

Yunobo paused. " _Never mind._ "

###

Sometime later, Zelda and the others were flying out of the South Lomei Labyrinth on their Paragliders with help from Revali who flapped his wings hard enough to generate a strong enough gust to lift everyone several feet into the air. In a matter of minutes, they landed on the cliff where they started from with Yunobo looking relieved to see them.

"While I may not have able to stop that strange man Yuga from taking Osfala, I must say that gust was quite spectacular," Revali said after landing on the cliff last. "I'm pretty sure no other Rito has every done that sort of thing before, except for the one I'm named after of course. So I think I'm going to call this ability Revali's Gale. Pretty catchy name, right?"

"Revali, we have more important things to worry about," Riju reminded him. "Though I do appreciate what you did for us."

"Why, thanks," Revali responded bashfully. "I know I'm awesome."

Riju groaned in response, while Zelda approached Yunobo.

To be continued…


	28. 28th Entry: Stories and Bad News

**Now I know it seems far-fetched for Zelda to be able to use Ravio's Bracelet since he and Link mainly used it, but since Hilda was able to use the bracelet's power to send Link and Zelda back to Hyrule at the end of _A Link Between Worlds_ I see no reason why Zelda couldn't use it as well.**

28th Entry: Stories and Bad News

"Did you call my father?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah," Yunobo answered. "Though he didn't sound happy."

"Doesn't surprise me. What about Paya?"

"Um, I let her know too."

"Good," Zelda said, and then turned to the others. "Until I figure out what this bracelet I got from Ravio is, I want you all to keep what happened in the labyrinth a secret."

Without hesitation, the four Champions and Link nodded in agreement. After that, Zelda decided to pay Ravio a visit in Hateno Village with Link accompanying her.

"Hello again, Premier's Daughter and Mr. Knight!" Ravio said excitedly while Sheerow chirped in response. "What can I do for you?"

"Explain the deal with this bracelet, for starters," Zelda responded, pointing at the bracelet's gem which was now purple. "Not too long ago, I encountered a man named Yuga in the South Lomei Labyrinth where Osfala went to and he turned me into a portrait. But for some reason, it didn't last as I was able to free myself and my comrades who were transformed into wall paintings by Yuga before he left with Osfala and someone else. Now, were you aware that the bracelet you let me borrow was magical?"

"Uh, not really," Ravio responded. "Though I have heard stories that the bracelet was used to seal evil powers by a certain Hero who wore it, allowing him to use the same powers himself."

"So you're saying that because I was affected by Yuga's magic, this bracelet absorbed it and gave me the power to free my comrades from the walls," Zelda assumed.

"Kind of, though I'm not sure it has the power to free those that have been turned into paintings. I heard the Hero was able to merge into walls thanks to the bracelet, and then it was used to send him and the Princess back to where they came from."

Zelda gave Ravio a skeptical look. "You sure know a lot about this bracelet, for someone who apparently found it not too long ago."

"I'm just telling you what I've heard, is all."

"From whom?"

"Oh, the Masked Elder and his followers mostly…"

"Are they a cult or something?"

"You could say that. We have monsters infesting every part of Lorule, and so some people have chosen to wear monster masks in order to not get attacked by them. Then eventually, they started to worship the monsters themselves."

"That sounds terrible."

"Well, it's the way things are in Lorule and that's part of the reason I left to do business here. So this guy Yuga, what did he look like?"

"Shouldn't you already know, since you said he came from Lorule as well?"

"Ah, right, I forgot I told you that," Ravio realized, looking embarrassed. "Um, what about the other person that Yuga took?"

"I didn't see them real well," answered Zelda. "They wore a dark-purple hood, gray pants, black boots, and carried a golden staff with an upside-down Triforce symbol on it."

Link then pointed at Zelda's face.

"What?" Zelda watched Link pantomime when the hooded figure held the staff and then point at Zelda's face again. "You saw her face, and she looked…just like me?"

"Then it's her, the one I'm looking for," Ravio murmured loudly. "Did Yuga turn her into a portrait too?"

"Unfortunately, yes, along with Osfala," Zelda stated. "Now Yuga said he's trying to revive Ganon, and called Osfala a 'Sage'. So he clearly knows about the descendants of the Seven Sages that we have here in Hyrule, along with Ganon."

"He must be trying to kidnap these descendants by turning them into portraits, so he can use them to revive Ganon," Ravio speculated.

"Well, that would explain why he took Seres and Osfala. But he also said he needed me, and then the hooded girl offered herself to Yuga in my place claiming she had the power he needed. Then before that, I overheard Yuga mention her 'Sealing Power' which is baffling since I've been told only women in my bloodline have that ability."

"There's…a version of that legend in Lorule, where the women in the Lorulean Royal Family inherit a special power that allows them to bind evil. The girl I was sent to find was from this family, and supposedly she gained this power more quickly than previous others. So when Yuga set his sights on Hyrule, she took it upon herself to deal with him."

"Now who is Yuga, exactly?"

"He's…the main reason Lorule is overrun by monsters, and broken up by deep crevices that prevent Loruleans from traveling to different reasons."

"If that's the case, then we must stop Yuga from doing the same thing to Hyrule."

###

On the way back to Hyrule Castle, Zelda noticed the diary had a new passage in it.

"'With his evil powers, the mysterious wizard who calls himself Yuga has trapped me inside my own castle with a magic barrier of some kind,'" Zelda recited. "'Only the Blade of Evil's Bane can destroy it, though I only hope the Hero can save me in time before I meet the same fate as the Sage descendants.' This must be relating to the legend Sahasrahla told me about the mirror world, where an ambitious man from there turned Sage descendants into paintings along with a Princess. But if that's what's going on right now, then Yuga is the ambitious man and the mirror world is—

Zelda's Sheikah Slate suddenly vibrated, forcing her to answer it.

" _Zelda, something terrible has happened!_ " Sidon shouted anxiously. " _Queen Oren was just kidnapped by that guy you ran into at the South Lomei Labyrinth._ "

"I assume Mipha told you what happened," Zelda guessed.

" _Only after Mipha and I heard the news about our mother._ "

"Was she turned into a portrait?"

" _Yeah, though I didn't believe it until Mipha told me about your encounter with the guy in the labyrinth. She said his name was Yuga. Is that right?_ "

"Yes," Zelda acknowledged, then she noticed an incoming call from Yunobo.

To be continued…


	29. 29th Entry: Magic Barriers

29th Entry: Magic Barriers and Wall Merging

"What is it, Yunobo?" Zelda asked after putting Sidon on hold on the Sheikah Slate.

" _Um, I just thought I would let you know that a Goron named Rosso has gone missing,_ " Yunobo said." _He was one of the Sage descendants that showed up to defeat Agahnim, if I recall._ "

"Damn," Zelda cursed and shut off her Sheikah Slate. "Yuga's already got four of the seven Sage descendants, meaning there's only three left."

Passing through Kakariko Village, Zelda went to Impa's home only to find a distraught-looking Paya standing out front.

"Thank Hylia you're here," Paya whimpered. "I just got back from the Ta'loh Naeg Shrine, and I couldn't find Impa anywhere in the house."

"Where's Sahasrahla?" Zelda asked. "Did he see her?"

"I don't know," Paya responded. "He wasn't in his home either, though he left a note."

"What did it say?"

"That he was heading for Hyrule Castle."

"Of course!" Zelda realized. "If what's happening is a repeat of the legend Sahasrahla told me about the mirror world, then he's probably gone to Hyrule Castle to warn my father about the kind of person Yuga is. Though based on what the latest passage in the diary said, he might be walking into a trap."

Zelda then took out the bell and rang it. To her surprise, only Irene's broomstick showed up and not Irene.

"Yuga must've gotten to her too," Zelda speculated and held onto the broom as it flew away.

###

At the entrance to Hyrule Castle, Zelda noticed Sahasrahla among a large crowd that had gathered. Stepping forward, she noticed the entire castle was surrounded by a multicolored barrier that had the yellow-orange armored Guard paintings emerging from the walls and attacking the Hyrule Guards who were currently fending them off.

"Where's my son?" A woman wearing a green cap and red dress cried out. "Where's my son?"

"What's his name?" Zelda asked the woman.

"Gulley," the woman responded. "I assumed he went into the woods to play with his Korok friends, but he didn't come back in time for dinner and now I don't know where he is."

Unsure of how to answer, Zelda left the woman and tapped Sahasrahla on the shoulder.

"Zelda!" Sahasrahla exclaimed, looking back. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you were heading into Hyrule Castle, and came to stop you," Zelda explained. "A new passage appeared in that diary I showed you, talking about Yuga and him putting a magic barrier around a castle."

"Then that confirms my own research into the legend about the mirror world," Sahasrahla responded. "But I didn't come soon enough to enter the castle and warn your father, who may be in danger as we speak. I tried using my magic against the barrier, though it didn't work. Only the Master Sword could have the power to break it. And speaking of which, where is Link?"

Before Zelda could answer, a pair of footsteps approached her from behind. It was Link and Paya, who looked winded.

"How did you get here so quickly?" Zelda flinched.

"We used a Travel Gate between the Dueling Peaks Sheikah Tower and the Great Plateau one," Paya explained. "Then Link used his Paraglider to get here, while I did the same."

"It's a good thing that Link has clearance to use Travel Gates, since only Knights and Guards can use the Sheikah Tower ones," Sahasrahla remarked. "Though I have heard that the Sheikah Shrines have Travel Gates that can be accessed as well."

"Either way, we need to get into the castle to save my father," Zelda stated and walked past Sahasrahla while Link did the same.

The crowd watched as Link raised the Master Sword above his head which lit up. Then he shot a beam of light from the sword, which created a big enough opening in the barrier for Link and Zelda to get through. Inside, they found many yellow-orange armored Guards swarming the place along with green-armored ones.

"I'm guessing that the yellow-orange ones are regular Guards, while the green ones are Captains," Zelda figured, using the Royal Bow to incapacitate them while Link parried several with the Master Sword.

They made their way to the top of the stairs, where Yuga stood a few feet from Rhoam who was wielding a ceremonial sword that looked rusted and barely used.

"That puny sword is nothing compared to my power, old man," Yuga remarked. Then he noticed Zelda and Link. "Besides, you were merely bait for the crown jewel that will be added to my collection!"

Waving his scepter in Zelda's direction, Zelda was pushed aside by Link who took the full force of the purple energy blast. Instead of a wall painting, Link was replaced by a portrait that depicted his image.

"Curses!" Yuga grumbled. "That little worm got in the way."

As Zelda pressed herself against the wall, she noticed the bracelet light up. In an instant, her body merged with the wall as a painted version of herself. Surprised by this, Zelda moved sideways and found herself sliding down the stairs till she reached the bottom where she emerged from the wall feeling winded.

"It seems you can use the Master Bracelet's power," Yuga remarked, looking down at Zelda from the balcony of the stairs. "But you can't hide from me forever!"

Zelda then ran out through the front door of the foyer and used the last of her arrows to get past the yellow-orange Guards on the bridge. As the crowd was being dispersed by Sahasrahla and Paya, she ran past them but then was pulled into a nearby alley by Ravio.

"Where did you come from?" Zelda asked.

"The air," Ravio answered. "I swiped one of those nifty Paragliders I've heard so much about from the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, and then combined it with my Tornado Rod to travel here quickly. What happened to Mr. Knight?"

"He...got turned into a portrait by Yuga, even though I was supposed to," replied Zelda, as everything that just happened suddenly it her. "On top of that, I think Yuga managed to capture the other Sage descendants as well."

To be continued…


	30. 30th Entry: Mirror World

30th Entry: Mirror World

Ravio paused and then held out his hand. "Come with me."

Zelda was taken aback. "Why?"

"I can take you to where the Sage descendants are, and Mr. Knight."

"For your information, his name is Link. And second of all, I don't trust you."

"Even after everything I said?"

"You've only told me partial truths, and not been completely honest with me from the very start. So how do I know you're not in league with Yuga, considering you both seem interested in the same girl?"

"Look, I'll explain everything later. But if you want to save your land from the fate of mine, follow my lead."

Just then, Zelda heard shouts and looked back to see the yellow-orange Guards spot her. As they were about to throw spears, she held onto Ravio and together they flew off into the skies using the Paraglider/Tornado Rod combination Ravio mentioned before. Soon enough, they landed in front of the Temple of Time.

"Is there a reason you brought me here?" Zelda asked.

"It was the closest fissure I could think of," Ravio replied, and entered the temple while Zelda followed inside.

The temple was eerily empty, as the Priest had been evacuated along with Dampé and Irene's grandmother when Rhoam made the Great Plateau off-limits. Yet the fissure was still present, which looked more menacing the closer Zelda and Ravio got to it.

"You know, it just occurred to me that if it didn't take long for Yuga to capture all the Sage descendants then why didn't he take them when he first arrived here a few days ago?" Zelda questioned. "Was he trying to get a sense of the land before setting out to find them?"

"Most likely," Ravio said. "Because even though Hyrule is similar to Lorule, it's not."

"How do you mean?"

"You'll see soon enough."

Then Ravio brushed past Zelda and approached the wall that the fissure was on. To Zelda's surprise, he merged with it as a painted version of himself appeared with the bracelet on his right hand. Looking down at her left hand, Zelda noticed the bracelet was gone and then looked up to see Ravio vanish into the fissure.

"Wait!" Zelda called, walking toward the fissure. "I thought you were taking me with—

As Zelda touched the fissure, she suddenly found herself in a strange place filled with many colors. Walking forward, a flash of negative light made her pause before she continued. Then in an instant, she emerged from a wall and found herself in a cave where Ravio was standing.

"Took you long enough," Ravio remarked. "But if I'm being honest, I wasn't sure if you would make it without the bracelet."

"Is it necessary?" Zelda asked.

"Kind of," answered Ravio. "Since the fissures were created by Yuga's magic, only he can send creatures and/or people through them. But since this bracelet has the same power, I can now go through the fissures without his permission. You, on the other hand, must be blessed by the Triforce since that was how the girl I'm looking for was able to get from here to Hyrule."

Zelda looked surprised. "You know about the Triforce?"

"Sure," Ravio shrugged. "Though only because Lorule has its own."

Thinking back to the upside-down Triforce symbol on the hooded figure's golden staff, Zelda realized, "So Lorule is the mirror world that Sahasrahla was talking about. It's Hyrule's counterpart!"

"You got it," Ravio nodded.

Outside of the cave, Zelda saw a land stretch out before her that was indeed similar to Hyrule and yet not so much. There were deep crevices that divided many areas, no signs of any Sheikah Towers or people, and many monsters were about.

"Long ago, a Hero from your world came to this one in order to free the descendants of Seven Sages and a Princess who were all trapped here by Yuga," Ravio said. "But it was all part of a plan conducted by this world's Princess and Yuga in order to get ahold of Hyrule's Triforce, which the former hoped to use to bring back Lorule's destroyed one while the latter wanted to use it for his own personal gain even after merging with Ganon to become Yuga-Ganon. Still, Hyrule's Hero persevered and defeated Yuga-Ganon causing Lorule's Princess to see the error of her ways. Using the bracelet that her Servant had given to Hyrule's Hero, the Princess of Lorule sent her Hylian counterpart and the Hero back to Hyrule where they wished on their Triforce to restore Lorule's.

"This in turn ushered in a golden age for Lorule, where technological advancements were made to the point where it resembled the way Hyrule does now. We even managed to prevent an event that was similar to the Great Calamity from happening thanks to the Princess' Sealing Power, though at the cost of her own life. So her Servant and the Defenders of Lorule traveled to Lorule's Sacred Realm to bring the Princess back with the Triforce. But in doing so they revived Yuga, since his soul was now bound to hers because of the Sealing Power, and he used the Triforce to plunge this world into the dark land that you see now."

"I see." Zelda paused and then said, "Then Yuga is Ganon's counterpart here in Lorule?"

"Yep," Ravio concurred. "And the girl that I'm looking for is actually your counterpart which why Mr. Knight — I mean, Link, said she looked just like you. Her name is Hilda, by the way."

"So who are you, then?"

"Just an errand boy," replied Ravio coyly. "The King of Lorule, Hilda's father, sent me to go after Hilda when she followed Yuga into your world in order to stop him from taking over Hyrule the same way he did here."

"But how did Yuga find out about Hyrule in the first place, if our worlds exist in separate planes of existence? And why would the King hire someone like you when you're clearly not a Knight or an armed Guard. Is there a counterpart to Link here?"

Ravio hesitated to answer. "Let's save those questions for now, when you've got Sages to rescue."

To be continued…


	31. 31st Entry: Thieves' Town

**Now in** ** _A Link Between Worlds_** **, the character Thief Girl doesn't have an actual name. But since it would be awkward to have the characters call her that, I decided to give her a name if that makes sense.**

31st Entry: Thieves' Town

Zelda's eyes widened. "Are you insane? I can't rescue Osfala and the others alone! Besides, they were Sage descendants."

"I'm sure they qualify as Sages at this point, since they visited the Sacred Realm and stopped Ganon from being resurrected through Agahnim," Ravio claimed.

"How do you know about that?" Zelda asked.

"That's not important," Ravio said as he shook his head. "Now aside from the Sages, Link is also a prisoner of Yuga. Don't you want to save him too?"

"Of course, but you know this land better than I do. So how can I save them if I don't know where to go?"

"Hmm, that is a good point…"

"And your world's Princess is in danger as well, since she got captured by Yuga at the Shrine in my world. You said yourself that you'll be in trouble if you don't find her, right?"

"Pretty much…"

"Therefore, I think we should work together. If Yuga isn't stopped, it'll mean the end for both of our worlds."

As Zelda held out her hand, Ravio paused and then shook it. For a brief moment, Zelda thought she saw an upside-down Triforce symbol glow on Ravio's right hand just as the Triforce symbol on hers glowed. Both of them were briefly confused, but then they let go of each other's hands and walked toward the distant mountains where Kakariko Village's counterpart called Thieves' Town was hidden. While resting for the night, Zelda thought she heard Sahasrahla's voice call her name.

"Is that you, Sahasrahla?" Zelda said quietly enough for Ravio to not hear her.

" _Yes,_ " Sahasrahla's voice replied. " _I am speaking directly to your mind using a special type of magic I recently learned. Where are you now?_ "

"The mirror world you told me about before, which is apparently called Lorule. I was taken to the fissure at the Temple of Time by Ravio, the merchant who Osfala got the Sand Rod from, and it took me straight to a cave that's Lorule's counterpart to the temple."

" _What happened to Link?_ "

"He got turned into a portrait, when I confronted Yuga in the castle earlier. Is my father all right?"

" _Strangely, yes, as Yuga decided to spare him and left through a fissure that apparently opened in your father's study. Yet more of those painted Guards are still coming out of the castle walls, so he's ordered an evacuation of the Hyrule Castle area. Additionally, a major earthquake hit all of Hyrule with reports coming in about multiple fissures similar to the one at the Temple of Time._ "

"I'll see if I can find another fissure on my end in Lorule, and get back as soon as I can."

" _Please do, as your father's very worried about you._ "

"How is Paya doing, along with my friends?"

" _Naturally, they're all concerned about you as well. But Paya is now more determined than ever to find the Shrines that will activate the Rune powers Purah added to her Sheikah Slate, while the Champions are seeing what they can do to help reactivate the Divine Beasts._ "

"That's very thoughtful of them…will you tell them that I said that?"

" _Certainly._ "

"And let my father know that I'm all right."

" _Absolutely, Zelda, though I would be wary of this Ravio fellow. What makes you so sure that you can trust him?_ "

"While he hasn't been entirely honest me, and seems to know more than he lets on, I have this feeling that he's a good person underneath. It's hard to explain."

" _Then let's hope you're right, Zelda. Not just for your sake, but for the fate of Hyrule…_ "

###

Upon arriving in Thieves' Town, Ravio took Zelda to the town's center, where a group of masked individuals stood around a figure wearing a black robe and red mask shaped like a demon with yellow eyes.

Seeing Zelda, the black-robed figure gasped and pointed his blue staff at her. "Young lady! Where is your mask? If you do not wear the face of a monster, you will be cursed to become one yourself through Yuga's evil magic!"

"Lighten up, Masked Elder," responded a young woman who wore a yellow fox mask. She had wavy pink hair tied into a loose ponytail, wearing a blue vest over an orange sleeveless shirt brown pants blue shoes and yellow gloves. "We don't know for a fact that wearing a mask prevents you from turning into a monster, since it seems to happen sporadically to people."

"Silence, Tef!" The black-robed figure insisted. "You have no right to question my judgement, not after what happened to Stalblind who didn't wear a mask."

The pink-haired girl paused and then removed her mask, revealing she had a pointed nose small mouth and dark eyes that seemed bored yet intrigued. "If that's the case, I'll just let her borrow mine."

As the girl Tef tossed her mask, it came toward Zelda which she managed to catch.

"While I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Tef, you must now find another mask to wear in the next twelve hours or you may suffer Stalblind's fate once the Harvest Moon rises," the Masked Elder warned. "That is when the monsters are more active than usual, and there's a higher frequency of monster transformations compared to other times. So be wary tonight, Masked Followers!"

"Then it's a good thing I don't plan to stick around here for much longer," Tef muttered out loud and walked away.

So the crowd dispersed, allowing Zelda and Ravio to approach the Masked Elder. However, he wouldn't speak to Zelda until she put on the fox mask Tef reluctantly gave her.

"All right, here's the deal, Masked Elder," Ravio said. "My friend is kind of not from around here, and she's looking for some friends of hers that may be trapped inside paintings. Have you heard any stories about Yuga taking any thing to certain places we might be able to find?"

"Now that you mention it, Ravio, I recently heard the Thieves' Hideout members got ahold of something which belonged to Yuga," the Masked Elder stated. "Rumor has it he gave the item to them willingly for safekeeping, though chances are they're going to keep it for themselves until Yuga pays them a hefty sum of Rupees."

"Do you know where the Thieves' Hideout is?" Zelda asked.

"What do I look like, a walking encyclopedia?" The Masked Elder snapped. "Ask the Bard at the Milk Bar. He has a habit of singing tunes that accidentally give away information."

"Thank you," Ravio nodded, and pulled Zelda away. "You've been incredibly helpful."

"Just remember: the end is nigh and this land is cursed!" Cried the Masked Elder.

To be continued…


	32. 32nd Entry: The Bard's Song

32nd Entry: The Bard's Song

At the Milk Bar in Thieves' Town, Zelda and Ravio were surprised to see a lot of people inside.

"Scram, you two!" The bar tender shouted, who was a thin man with a brown mustache and wearing a white waist-length apron under a sweaty green shirt. "This place is full enough as is, what with all the monsters running about and forcing folks to take refuge in here. Can't a guy just drink milk in peace?"

"Oh, shut up," A red-haired youth wearing a purple uniform said loudly after downing a large glass of milk. "You say the same thing every day."

"And you still haven't paid your tab yet," the bar tender retorted. "You may be working for the Royal Family, but clearly you're not made of Rupees. Hey, Bard! Play something more relaxing, will you? Your tune is giving me a headache."

"Sure thing, Boss," replied an orange-haired man near the back who wore a turquoise shirt and was playing a red guitar.

While the bar tender briefly rubbed his head, Zelda and Ravio slipped into the crowd and found a seat near the Bard.

"He looks like the Captain's son," Zelda muttered as she stared at the red-haired youth in the purple uniform.

"That's because he is," Ravio responded. "Of Lorule's Captain of the Guards, that is."

"I see," Zelda realized.

"You'll quickly notice that every person in Lorule is actually a counterpart of someone in Hyrule, though for me it was the opposite," Ravio said. "So Bard, word has it the Boss of Thieves' Hideout acquired something recently. Is that true?"

"Yeah, I've heard it's some kind of painting," the Bard replied quietly. "Thing must be worth a fortune, and if that thief girl knows where it is she'd best keep her trap shut unless she wants to sell it to me. In fact, the whole thing gave me the idea for a little ditty. Care to listen?"

In response, Ravio and Zelda nodded. So the Bard strummed his guitar and sang:

" _Wrong place, wrong time,_

 _and the boss will be glad to put you back in line!_

 _A smart thief fears the boss' wrath!_

 _I'd rather be on a cliff_

 _walkin' a narrow path!_ "

Ravio clapped politely, followed by Zelda, and then Ravio led Zelda out of the Milk Bar just as the bar tender noticed them.

"Why did you drag me out?" Zelda asked, letting go of Ravio's hand.

"Because that bar tender was going to kick us out, and we got all the information we need," Ravio replied. "Now let's go to the Thieves' Hideout."

Zelda flinched. "You knew where the Thieves' Hideout was all along, and you didn't tell me?"

"You'll understand why in a moment," Ravio insisted, and approached a pair of stone statues near the town square.

They appeared to have doors carved into them, so Ravio approached one and knocked.

" _Who's there?_ " Cried a voice from the other side. " _No one gets past me 'less you know the ultra secret password song. I'll start singing the lyrics and you finish them, unless you can't. Ahem!_ A smart thief fears the boss' wrath! I'd rather be on a cliff walkin' a narrow—

"Path!" Ravio answered.

The voice on the other side paused before continuing, "Sometimes it hurts too much t'care. Ya think knowledge is power, but it's—

"Really despair!"

"Every time I say I'm a-leavin', this accursed life sets me right back—

"To thievin'!"

" _Wow, quite the fetching voice,_ " responded the voice from the other side. " _Come on in, buddy!_ "

The door then suddenly opened, allowing Ravio and Zelda to go inside. On the other side was a blue-haired boy with glasses wearing a black cloak and holding a spear.

"Oh, if you told me a lady was in your company I would've let you in for free," the blue-haired boy said, eyeing Zelda. Then he turned his attention back to Ravio. "You must be one of the new recruits. Mind taking over guard duty for me? I would really appreciate it. But don't do anythin' that'll get me in trouble, okay? Now I'm off to get some fresh air, fresh meat! Hmm, that kind of rhymes…maybe I'll see if the Bard can make a tune out of that…"

As the blue-haired boy left, Zelda looked down several feet below and saw the pink-haired girl Tef locked away in a cell.

"I wonder why she's locked up down there," Zelda asked out loud.

"Who cares," Ravio shrugged. "We've got a painting to find."

"But that girl might know where it is," Zelda speculated. "Plus, I need to give back the mask she lent me since I'm pretty sure I don't need it."

"All right, we'll visit her cell on the way down," Ravio compromised reluctantly. "Though I wouldn't be too willing to give up that mask just yet. If Yuga knows you're in Lorule, he'll probably put out a reward for your capture."

"But why would he want to capture me? He's got Hilda, who apparently has the Sealing Power that I'm trying to achieve which I'm guessing is necessary to reviving Ganon."

"Yes, the Sealing Power can revive Ganon but only yours. Hilda's Sealing Power is different, because it can only revive Yuga and not Ganon. But since Yuga's already revived, why would he have need for Hilda's Sealing Power? Unless…"

Ravio didn't say anything for a long time, as Zelda followed him through the Thieves' Hideout until they came to Tef's cell. There, Ravio merged into a nearby wall and slipped into the cell causing Tef to gasp.

"How did you get in here?" Tef asked. "Are you after the painting too?"

"You could say that," Ravio said.

"I knew it!" Tef said to herself. "That thing must be pretty valuable if the Boss is going through all this trouble just to hide it."

"So why are you here?" Zelda asked.

Tef hesitated to answer, looking at Zelda through the bars between them. "Let's just say I may have 'accidentally' found out where the painting is hidden. That's why the blue-haired creep locked me in here."

"Were you hoping to steal the painting yourself?" Zelda guessed.

"Just so I could earn enough money to leave this crazy town," replied Tef. "Maybe we could help each other out. If you get me out of the Thieves' Hideout, I can take you to where the painting is. Sound like a deal?"

Zelda looked at Ravio, who seemed indifferent, so she nodded.

To be continued…


	33. 33rd Entry: Escape from the Hideout

33rd Entry: Escape from the Hideout

Because Tef didn't have any of her gear or weapons on hand, Zelda and Ravio were forced to escort her out of the Thieves' Hideout after getting the key to the cell she was kept in. Unfortunately, the front entrance was locked so they were forced to try a large door that was perpendicular to it. As soon as Ravio and Zelda stepped through the door, though, it shut before Tef could catch up to them.

" **Foolish girl,** " said a menacing voice in the darkness. " **You thought you could get away from me, Stalblind, with your puny little friends?** "

Then from out of the darkness emerged a towering beast with red skin white fur and blank pale-blue eyes. In the beast's hands a large shield that resembled a mirror and a blade that was equally large.

"Now what do we do?" Ravio asked, looking back at Zelda. "You're the one who got us into this mess, after all."

"Excuse me!" Zelda snapped. "You were the one who brought me to Lorule in the first place."

At that moment, the monster called Stalblind took a swing at Ravio with his sword. Fortunately, Ravio merged into Stalblind's shield which seemed to confuse him. Then Ravio left the shield while Stalblind wasn't looking and hit him from behind with a large hammer. So Zelda decided to keep Stalblind distracted by running around the area, allowing Ravio to keep hitting him.

This caused Stalblind to eventually give up the shield, and chase Zelda around so Ravio changed his hammer out for some arrows which he fired at Stalblind's back. Eventually, Stalblind removed his head from his body and sent it flying around the room which forced Zelda to dodge it while Ravio hit the body a few times with the hammer. Soon, Stalblind's body and head disintegrated. Then the door that locked behind Ravio and Zelda opened, allowing Tef inside.

"Looks like you beat Stalblind," Tef noted. "Good riddance…now let's get out of here."

Using another door, the three of them emerged out of the other door that was adjacent to the one Zelda and Ravio used to enter the Thieves' Hideout. Then Tef took them a few houses down, and into an empty one where a familiar portrait lay depicting Osfala.

"I'm not sure what the big deal is," Tef noted, looking disappointed. "Just looks like an ordinary painting to me. Though I do kinda dig the whole flat look, like the guy inside just walked right into the painting and got trapped, ya know?"

Neither Zelda nor Ravio said anything.

"Anyway, thanks for getting me out of the cell," Tef responded. "Later!"

Once Tef left the house with the fox mask on, Ravio turned to Zelda. "Well, we found a Sage. Assuming the guy in the painting is one."

"Yes, his name is Osfala," Zelda said and approached the painting.

Upon touching the border, though, the painting suddenly glowed causing Zelda to shield her eyes. A moment later, Zelda found herself in a strange brightly colored place standing on a platform with seven symbols carved into them. On one of the platforms appeared Osfala in the flesh, who seemed surprised to see her.

"Z-Zelda?" Osfala exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"And where is here?" Zelda asked, looking around.

"The Sacred Realm," Osfala replied. "So that must mean…you rescued me? Where's Link?"

"He got turned into a painting by Yuga, just like you were," Zelda explained.

"I see." Osfala paused and then said, "Then I must help Link the only way I can. But in order to do that, you must rescue the other Seven Sages, Zelda."

"So you guys truly are Sages?"

"Yes, our true power awakened after we came here. Though in Impa and Queen Oren's case, they became aware much sooner thanks to Lana."

"Now who is she?"

"Someone who's been here longer than me and Sages have. Now get going, for time is running short. Here, take this Sand Rod. I rented it from a merchant named Ravio, and he said if I fell in battle the Sand Rod would be returned to him. Though since I doubt the rod would reach Ravio from here, will you return it for me?"

"Sure," Zelda accepted, taking from Osfala's hand a staff that was yellow with a white diamond inside it.

Then the light from the Sacred Realm brightened, causing Zelda to close her eyes again. When she opened them, she was standing outside the house with Ravio looking baffled.

"Where did you go?" Ravio asked. "After you touched the paining, you suddenly vanished. Is that my Sand Rod?"

Zelda looked down at the Sand Rod and nodded. "It is. I got it from Osfala in the Sacred Realm, which he went to after I freed him."

"Okay," Ravio remarked as Sheerow flew from a hidden pocket in Ravio's robe and took the Sand Rod from Zelda's hands. "So you apparently have the power to not only traverse the fissures by yourself, but also free others trapped in paintings."

"Yeah," Zelda said, looking at her right hand. "It could be a sign that my Sealing Power is finally awakening, or some other greater power…"

"Like the Triforce of Wisdom?"

"How do you—

"As I said before, Lorule has its own Triforce so the individual elements are similar too. For instance, Princess Hilda has the Triforce of Kindness which is basically the equivalent to the Triforce of Courage. Meanwhile, Yuga has the Triforce of Ambition—

"And that's the Triforce of Power's equivalent," Zelda finished. "So is that the reason Yuga is trying to revive Ganon? To get his hands on the Triforce of Power and become more powerful than he already is?"

"That seems like a likely possibility. Do you know where the Triforce of Power went after Agahnim was defeated?"

"I'm not sure. The Triforce just simply disappeared, which Impa claimed was a sign that it went back to the Sacred Realm."

"But did you see the Triforce in the Sacred Realm with Osfala?"

"No…"

"Then maybe it didn't go back, and split into three pieces again. That's what happened after Yuga made his wish on our Triforce."

Concerned, Zelda walked around and found another black fissure inside the ruins of an abandoned house. Without hesitation, she ran towards it and stepped into the strange multicolored realm again.

To be continued…


	34. 34th Entry: Zelda's Lullaby

34th Entry: Zelda's Lullaby

On the other side of the fissure, Zelda found herself inside the closet of a house occupied by a middle-aged Sheikah woman. As soon as Zelda stepped out, though, the woman dropped a pin she was about to put in her bun of silver hair.

"Where did you come from?" The woman exclaimed.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Zelda said as she looked back at the fissure, expecting Ravio to follow. "My name is Zelda, and I'm—

"The Premier's daughter?" The woman guessed.

"How did you guess?" Zelda asked, looking back at the woman.

"Your father recently posted a huge reward for your safe return on the Hyrule Network, which included a picture of you," the woman explained. "I'm Claree, by the way. I run the Enchanted Armor Shop here in Kakariko Village."

Zelda's eyes widened. "Do you know Sahasrahla?"

"Of course," Claree responded. "He and Impa both share the title of Village Elder, after all. Though I must say, Impa's been gone a lot lately. Makes me feel sorry for poor Paya…"

"Can you take me to Paya, or Sahasrahla?" Zelda requested. "I need to speak to either of them right away."

"Well, okay," Claree said as she picked up the pin she dropped. "But then can we go to your father so I can collect that reward?"

"Fine," Zelda reluctantly agreed, and followed Claree outside.

To Zelda's surprise, there were several Hyrule Castle Guards patrolling the narrow lanes between the small cluster of houses in Kakariko Village. On the way to Sahasrahla's house, one of the Guards spotted Zelda and blocked her way.

"May I see your Shiekah Slate ID, Miss?" The Guard insisted.

"What for?" Zelda hesitated. "I'm Zelda, the Premier's daughter."

"A likely story," the Guard remarked as he chuckled. "Since Zelda's disappearance yesterday, we've had numerous posers claiming to be her in order to collect the reward offered by the Premier himself. We even had a guy named Shadi who came dressed up as Zelda, though his disguise wasn't good enough to fool the Premier. So just for the sake of clarity, let's see your Sheikah Slate ID."

Grumbling, Zelda gave the Guard her Sheikah Slate. After he checked it, he looked at his own briefly and seemed baffled.

"Either you are the Premier's daughter, or a really good poser," the Guard remarked. "In either case, please follow me to the Premier's temporary lodging."

"And may I come too?" Claree offered. "I found this girl in my house, and if she is the daughter of Premier Rhoam—

"We'll give you the reward as promised," the Guard interrupted. "That is, if this girl is who she appears to be."

So the Guard grabbed Zelda's shoulder and forcefully pulled her toward Impa's home. Inside, Rhoam sat on a makeshift throne while Paya stood nearby.

"Zelda!" Paya smiled. "It's really you!"

"So it appears to be," Rhoam said, and then he looked at the Guard. "You may leave us."

In turn, the Guard bowed and walked out of the house leaving Zelda and Claree.

"As I'm sure you've heard, I sent out a reward for your return and have been visited by nothing but imposters claiming to be you," Rhoam said to Zelda. "So here is a test to prove you really are my daughter: play the lullaby that your mother played for you as a child on this harp."

From the foot of his throne, Rhoam held up a golden harp that Zelda recognized as hers. Taking it from her father's hands, Zelda quickly played the strings to make sure they were tuned. Afterwards, she played a melody that was soothing and pleasant to listen to. Everyone in the room seemed to be swayed by the song, including Rhoam and Paya.

"Yes, just as beautiful as when your mother used to play it," Rhoam noted. "Forgive my doubt, Zelda. Our land has been thrown into chaos since you vanished, forcing me to temporarily relocate here for safety reasons and so my mind has not been as centered as it once was."

"There's no need to apologize, Father," Zelda said, and hugged Rhoam. "I should be the one apologizing, for foolishly trying to confront Yuga on my own without your support. Now Link and the Seven Sages are trapped in paintings, and I'm the only who can free them."

"Except you're not alone," Paya spoke up. "You've got me and the Champions."

"Myself included," Sahasrahla interrupted, appearing from behind a wooden pillar in the house.

"Um, I hate to interrupt this happy reunion," Claree suddenly said. "But can I take my reward and get back to my shop? Lasli's probably wondering where I am."

"Of course," Rhoam nodded and ordered a nearby Guard to fetch a wooden chest near the back of the house.

A few minutes later, though, the Guard returned claiming the chest was taken by a blond-haired thief that suddenly appeared.

"I think it was Shadi, based on the description the last Guard gave me," the Guard said once he finished telling his story.

Frowning, Rhoam addressed Claree. "We're sorry for the inconvenience. As soon as this thief is caught, we'll give you the reward as promised."

"Oh, no rush," Claree insisted. "You've got a lot of things on your mind, being the Premier and all. Instead, I'll willingly give Zelda an outfit of her choosing at my shop. How about that?"

"Um, sure," Zelda responded as her father looked at her. "But I'll bring financial compensation for the reward you were promised when I visit your shop sometime."

"Sounds good," Claree smiled. "May I leave, Premier?"

Rhoam nodded again and so Claree left Impa's home.

"Though I explained what you told me earlier to your father, he insists you should be escorted by at least one Champion Guard or Paya from now on," Sahasrahla stated.

"But…I thought you were taking sword-fighting lessons," Zelda said to Paya.

"I am, but given everything that's happening in Hyrule lately it would be good to get some field practice in alongside the training I'm doing at the Ta'loh Naeg Shrine," Paya responded, unsheathing an Eightfold Blade from a scabbard that was tucked into her blue sash. "Plus, I need to find the Shrines that'll activate those Runes I mentioned which might help save Link."

"Then if we're going to do that, I need to examine the other fissures that have appeared in Hyrule and see where they lead to in Lorule," Zelda responded. "And speaking of fissures, I came through one in Claree's house."

Flinching, Sahasrahla said, "Then I'll let her know as soon as possible, so she doesn't accidentally step into it."

"Is there a reason you need to return to Lorule?" Rhoam asked Zelda.

"Because I suspect that Yuga has placed the Sage paintings at different locations there in order to keep them out of our reach," Zelda replied. "In fact, I found Osfala in Lorule's counterpart to Kakariko Village which is called Thieves' Town. Plus, I have this 'power' that allows me to free those that have been turned into paintings."

Rhoam's eyebrow raised slightly. "Has your Sealing Power awakened?"

"I'm not sure, but whatever this power is…it's the only thing I think can free the Sages and Link from Yuga's power," Zelda insisted.

To be continued…


	35. 35th Entry: Misery Mire

35th Entry: Misery Mire

The following day, a report came in through the Twin Peaks Sheikah Tower that a strange palace had appeared in the Southern Oasis region of the Gerudo Desert. So Zelda decided to meet Riju at the Gerudo Town settlement before she led an expedition there with Lady Urbosa's permission. Using Irene's flying broomstick, Zelda landed just outside of Gerudo Town when she noticed a familiar rabbit-eared figure.

"Ravio!" Zelda said as she angrily approached him. "Why didn't you follow behind me?"

"I did, though!" Ravio claimed.

"Then why didn't I see you when I left the house?"

"Because I snuck out after you left."

"And why's that?"

"Out of, uh, self-preservation…"

"You just didn't want to deal with my father, right?"

"No, I'm sure he's a nice guy but it would complicate things if I had to explain myself to him."

"How so?"

In response, Ravio said, "So I caught wind of that report about the palace in the desert. My guess is that a Sage is trapped there."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"Because it happened before. Remember that legend I told you when we arrived in Lorule?"

"Yeah."

"Well, according to it one of the Sages that the Hero had to rescue was trapped inside a Desert Palace that existed in his world which could only be accessed through the Misery Mire. That is Lorule's equivalent to the Gerudo Desert."

"I see, but there's never been any record of a Desert Palace existing in the Gerudo Desert before. Unless, it's the result of Hyrule and Lorule starting to merge physically with each other due to the fissures' influence. Elements from our worlds' respective timelines are converging, though that doesn't explain the East Lomei Labyrinth incident. Maybe that was Lana's doing..."

"Um, I'm not sure who this 'Lana' is but would you be interesting in renting the Sand Rod from me?" Ravio asked, taking the Sand Rod from the folds of his robe. "I have a feeling it'll come in handy when you get inside the Desert Palace."

Zelda blinked. "You're not coming with me?"

"Oh, that Thieves' Hideout experience left me feeling kind of winded so I'm not up for adventuring right now." To make a point, Ravio fanned himself while Sheerow flapped its wings like a fan. "But I'll certainly help you when I can."

This made Zelda suspicious, though she said, "All right, but if you find out anything about where the other Sages are located please let me know."

"Sure thing, Zelda!"

After paying Ravio 80 Rupees for renting the Sand Rod, Zelda made her way into Gerudo Town which was primarily occupied by women of different races though primarily Gerudos. It was here that she saw Riju Buliara and Lady Urbosa along with several armed Gerudo women.

"You made it just in time," Riju smiled. "I expected to meet you halfway to the Southern Oasis with an armed escort."

"I got here using Irene's broomstick, which seems to work without her," Zelda responded.

Lady Urbosa looked concerned. "Such a shame that a young girl like her got abducted by this Yuga swine. If I had the chance to kill him before any of this happened, I wouldn't have hesitated. Now based on what you said in the Sheikah Slate message to my granddaughter earlier, you think one of the Seven Sages that Irene is a part of could be inside this palace. Do you have any idea which one it could be?"

"I'm afraid not, Lady Urbosa," Zelda responded, looking disappointed.

Urbosa then smirked and placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Regardless of who it may be, I'm sure they will be very grateful when you save them. Take care of Riju for me, though, all right?"

"Yes," Zelda nodded.

With the armed Gerudo women, Riju and Zelda walked out of Gerudo Town. There, they used real Sand Seals to traverse the Gerudo Desert since the Master Cycle Zeros could only go so far. Eventually, they reached a set of ruins that looked ancient yet foreign with a large creature wriggling in the sand.

"It's a Molduga," Riju realized. "We'll have to take care of it before proceeding into the Desert Palace proper."

As Riju snapped her finger, the armed Gerudo women took out their spears and approached the Molduga. Sensing the women's footprints, the Molduga moved toward them. Instinctively, Zelda took out the Sand Rod and waved it at the creature. This caused columns of sand to shoot up from the ground and along with it came the Molduga, which wriggled uselessly on its back.

"Where did you get that?" Riju asked, looking at the Sand Rod while the Gerudo women proceeded to pierce the Molduga from multiple sides with their spears.

"A merchant allowed me to rent it," Zelda said vaguely. "He called this item the Sand Rod, which as you can see can manipulate sand."

Riju eyed the rod suspiciously and then said, "Then I guess it's a good thing you got this 'Sand Rod' before we came here. Otherwise, we'd be spending hours trying to kill the Molduga which is no easy task."

From there, the ruins were fairly easy to navigate with the Sand Rod aiding in this regard. There were even a few black fissures here, which Zelda proceeded to enter with Riju holding her hand. On the other side, they found themselves in a dark-green mire filled with yellow plants and worm-like creatures wiggling in it.

"This must be the Misery Mire that Ravio mentioned," Zelda figured.

"Who's Ravio?" Riju asked.

"He's the…merchant who gave me the Sand Rod," Zelda answered reluctantly.

Just then, a pig-like creature appeared wearing purple armor and wielding a pitchfork. So Riju advanced on him with her Gerudo Scimitar out and took him down easily.

"It may just be my imagination, but this thing reminds me of a Moblin," Riju observed. "So does this mean we're in that mirror world you told me about as we were riding out from Gerudo Town? If so, how does this Ravio guy know about this place?"

Instead of answering, Zelda proceeded over to another fissure forcing Riju to hold onto her once again. On the other side, they came to the Desert Palace entrance.

To be continued…


	36. 36th Entry: Desert Palace

36th Entry: Desert Palace

Inside the Desert Palace, Zelda and Riju navigated through several fire-lit corridors using the Sand Rod to get across platforms. Along the way they fought mummified figures, rats with glowing eyes, snakes with skulls on their heads, and floating jellyfish that displaced electricity.

"Do you know what these things are?" Riju asked.

"I'm not sure," Zelda replied. "Though the _Hyrule Historia_ did show pictures depicting similar creatures that apparently existed long ago. However, they went extinct following the Great Time Convergence so why they're suddenly here now is a mystery."

"Like everything else that's happened lately," Riju remarked. "Ever since that strange diary came into your possession."

"I don't think the diary's entirely to blame for all of this," Zelda argued. "Clearly, some greater forces are at work and it's causing legends that may or may not have happened in the past to become real in the present."

"But how is that possible? We live in a technological age, with scientific reasoning and logic. Strange things like this have to have an explanation, right?"

"That's what I've been asking myself since this whole thing started, and I keep hitting a wall when it comes to explaining it scientifically. Now from a spiritual level, it's clear Link and I are supposed to be the new reincarnations of the Hero and the Princess from various Hyrule legends who fought against the same evil despite the many names it had."

"You're taking about Ganon, whom I believe once reincarnated as a member of my race. That's what my grandmother Urbosa told me."

"Yes, I came across such a legend in the _Hyrule Historia_. Though knowing these things doesn't help me determine why these events are happening now, unless the implication is that Calamity Ganon wasn't completely destroyed 1000 years ago. He may still be present in spirit-form somewhere, and is using different methods to come back. Hence, his attempt at manifesting through Agahnim and now Yuga might be trying to resurrect him through the Seven Sages."

"But if he had them all captured before you saved Osfala, then why hasn't Ganon been resurrected already?"

"He might be after my Sealing Power, which Ravio thinks is the key to resurrecting Ganon."

"And how does Ravio know about this, let alone the mirror world?"

"Because he's actually from the mirror world, and apparently it's called Lorule."

"Lorule?" Riju smirked. "Seems like a fitting name."

Soon, the girls found themselves on a ledge outside which included another fissure which they entered. On the other side, they entered an area with stone pillars rising out of a pit of sand that was right next to the Misery Mire. From this sand emerged a living desert flower with eyes in its petals and flying cacti emerging from it. So while Zelda used the Sand Rod to create platforms between the pillars, Riju charged forward and slashed the desert flower to shreds.

After several rounds, the flower disintegrated and a layer of sand filled the entire pit. This allowed the girls to walk easily across the pit over to a portrait depicting Irene. Zelda then touched the portrait and found herself in the Sacred Realm where Osfala still stood. Next to him appeared Irene, who looked surprised to see Zelda.

"Y-You came to rescue me?" Irene folded her arms. "Well, I'm a little disappointed it wasn't Link. He usually saves the Sages according to Lana."

"Unfortunately, he got turned into a portrait by Yuga," Zelda informed Irene. "Now Osfala said you and the other Sages can save him, right?"

"Yeah, but we have to be all together to do that," Irene said. "Now since you took your sweet time coming here, I hope you don't make the other Sages wait too long. But it's not like I don't appreciate what you did for me. Just make sure to take care of my broom and tell my gram that I'm all right, okay?"

"Sure," Zelda nodded.

Then in a flash, Zelda was back in the filled sand pit with Riju looking surprised.

"What happened?" Riju asked. "Based on what you told me, did you go to the Sacred Realm?"

"Exactly, though I should've warned you before I touched Irene's portrait," Zelda said. "Now let's go back to Hyrule."

Using the same fissure, they came onto the ledge where Riju ordered the armed escort of Gerudo women to catch them as she and Zelda jumped down. In Gerudo Town, Zelda explained what happened to Lady Urbosa who in turn spoke to Zelda's father about it.

"So where will you head to next?" Riju asked Zelda.

"I don't know yet, but maybe Ravio has some new information about where the other Sages may be," Zelda figured, noticing that Ravio wasn't standing outside Gerudo Town anymore. "So I'm heading off to see him."

"Now do you know why he came to Hyrule, let alone his reason for helping you?"

"He's trying to stop Yuga, or at least trying to save someone who was captured by Yuga."

"And who is that?"

Zelda paused. "A girl named Hilda, that her father wants back after she ran away to deal with Yuga herself."

"Sounds like your father's not the only overprotective parent in the world," Riju joked. "And this Hilda sounds a lot like you."

This made Zelda wince, and so she used the bell to call Irene's broomstick.

" _Hey, can you hear me?_ " Called Irene's voice before Zelda sat on the broom. " _I'm talking to you from the Sacred Realm._ "

In response, Zelda got onto the boom and flew off before saying, "I can hear you loud and clear, Irene. What is it?"

" _Oh, nothing, I just…wanted to apologize in case I came off as rude earlier._ "

"You were fine," Zelda assured, though she was partially lying. "I understand that what I'm doing is apparently Link's job and not mine."

" _That's not how Lana put it. She just said that_ typically _Heroes like Link rescue the Sages from imprisonment before they head off to the Sacred Realm to gather their energy until they're needed. Doesn't mean what you're doing is wrong. After all, the fate of Hyrule and now Lorule rests with you._ "

"I'm well aware of that," replied Zelda and steered the broom in the direction of Hateno Village.

To be continued…


	37. 37th Entry: The Witch's House

37th Entry: The Witch's House

Outside of Fort Hateno, which protected Hateno Village, Zelda landed from the broomstick which took off much to the Hyrule Guards' confusion. After showing her Sheikah Slate to them, they let her inside where she noticed the familiar smells of potions wafting from a nearby house. Stepping inside, she saw an elderly woman wearing black robes and a hat similar to Irene.

"Welcome to the Witch's House, young lady," the elderly woman remarked as she stirred a boiling cauldron. "I had to move here following the incident at the Temple of Time, but I'm still open for business with the same potions I've always had available for your consumption."

Zelda paused and said, "I know this going to sound weird but…I met your granddaughter Irene."

"Oh?" The elderly witch seemed interested. "Are you the blue girl that she thought she had to take care of in order to avoid the disaster foretold by the Fortune Teller?"

"That's what she told me."

The elderly witch shook her head and kept stirring the cauldron. "I guess caring for you didn't do her any good, now that she's missing."

"She's all right," Zelda insisted, causing the elderly witch to look at her in confusion. "That's what she asked me to tell you."

"But where is she?" The elderly woman asked.

"In the Sacred Realm," replied Zelda. "She went there after I freed her from imprisonment from the evil magician called Yuga."

"Ah, yes, she told me about going to the Sacred Realm the first time she disappeared," the elderly witch recalled. "And I have heard about this Yuga fellow. The Hyrule Network's been reporting on him like crazy, urging the citizens of Hyrule to let the authorities know of his current whereabouts and such. He's proven to be quite crafty, since the Hyrule Guards and Knights haven't caught him yet. But at least my granddaughter is safe. Is that all you came in here for?"

"Actually, do you know someone named Ravio?"

"Is he the rabbit-eared guy?"

"Yes, has he come back here?"

"No, though I thought I saw him being taken by Bokoblins toward Ash Swamp."

Zelda's eyes widened. "When did this happen?"

"Earlier today, I think."

"Thanks for telling me."

Then Zelda ran out of the Witch's House and had the broom take her to Ash Swamp. There, the ruins of machines called Guardians stood that were barely visible beneath the moss and grass that had grown over them in the 10,000 years since they had been active. It was also the place where the Hero was said to have died for the Princess when she activated her Sealing Power, which made Zelda feel nervous stepping onto the wet grassy surface. Bokoblins were indeed present, forcing Zelda to sneak around them until she found Ravio tied up on one of their wooden towers.

"Hey, Zelda," Ravio said embarrassingly. "How did you know where to find me?"

"Irene's grandmother told me you were captured by Bokoblins," Zelda responded as she untied the ropes around Ravio's wrists. "She's one of the Seven Sages, which I rescued not too long ago _without_ your help."

"Well, congratulations," Ravio cheered as he rubbed his wrists gently. "Two Sages down, five more to go."

As Ravio got up, though, he froze upon seeing several Bokoblins surrounding the tower. Zelda immediately took out her Royal Bow and arrows, but then she noticed something in the distance.

"There's a fissure!" Zelda exclaimed, pointing to it on the face of a pillar-shaped rock. "We could use your Tornado Rod to confuse the Bokoblins and then make a run for it."

"Sounds like a plan," Ravio agreed. "I'm more of a runner than a fighter."

"Yet you did just fine when we had to deal with Stalblind in the Thieves' Hideout," Zelda argued.

"That was different, though! I had no choice but to fight. Otherwise, I'd rather avoid it."

Just then, Mipha suddenly emerged from the swampy water and stabbed several Bokoblins using the Lightscale Trident. This allowed Ravio to fly away using the Paraglider he stole from the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab while Zelda did the same. They glided toward the rock and were about to enter the fissure when Mipha came running towards them.

"Care to explain what you're doing here?" Zelda asked as soon as Mipha caught up.

"I was heading to Hateno Village after Riju told me where you were going, on your father's orders," Mipha explained. "Then I saw this young man being taken by the Bokoblins, and decided to wait in the swamp waters to ambush them. So where are you two going?"

"Into the fissure," Zelda answered. "I believe it may lead to another Sage that's trapped."

"Can I come with you?" Mipha pleaded. "If it might take me to my mother Queen Oren, then I would want to help her."

"Sure, since you can clearly take care of yourself, Trident Lady," Ravio remarked and turned away. "Meanwhile, I'm going to head back to Hateno Village and—

"Oh, no, you're coming with us," Zelda interrupted, tugging on Ravio's scarf. "I may have gotten by without you at the Desert Palace, but that doesn't mean I don't need your help navigating Lorule."

"Ugh, fine," Ravio grumbled. "But don't ask me to protect you, or force me to do it."

Using the bracelet, Ravio merged into the rock's surface and slipped through the fissure.

"How did he do that?" Mipha questioned. "Wasn't that the same power Yuga used?"

"It is, but somehow the bracelet absorbed Yuga's power and now allows the wearer to merge into walls as a painted image," Zelda said. "Now take my hand."

Mipha hesitated. "Why?"

"Because while I can travel through fissures safely without the bracelet, I can't guarantee you will make it through yourself. I did this with Riju earlier, so I know it works."

So Mipha held Zelda's hand. Though because Mipha's hand was slick, Zelda had to grip it extra tightly as they went into the fissure together. Seeing the strange colors made Mipha panic though Zelda assured her it would be over soon as they walked in a straight line, followed by the negative flash and then emerged into an area that was marshy with canyons nearby.

"Where are we?" Zelda asked.

"The Plains of Ruin," Ravio stated. "To the south of here lies the Swamp Palace, which is a dreaded place according to legend. It's also where a Sage from Hyrule was once kept, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a Sage there now."

To be continued…


	38. 38th Entry: Swamp Palace

38th Entry: Swamp Palace

In front of a stone structure that was surrounded by murky water on all sides, Ravio used his Hookshot to get across while Zelda held onto him. Meanwhile, Mipha jumped into the water and leaped out to get to the other side. From there, the three of them entered the structure and came into a dimly lit area with blue stone tiles and snake heads.

"Here's the Swamp Palace interior, ladies, in all its spooky glory," Ravio said sarcastically.

As Ravio turned away, Zelda pulled him back and forced him to pull a lever with the Hookshot. This made the snake heads pour water from their mouths which filled the deep pit around them. After that, they encountered many water-filled rooms with bugs skittering on the water's surface and seal-like creatures inside floating shells. While Mipha swam in the water to discover possible secrets, Zelda kept the creatures at bay with her Royal Bow and Ravio used the Hookshot to change the water levels as needed.

Eventually, the three entered a room with a giant floating jellyfish that dispersed electricity. So Zelda fired arrows at it from a distance, while Mipha and Ravio stayed back. But as Zelda ran low on arrows, Ravio decided to aid her with his own bow-and-arrow. Then as the jellyfish split into several smaller versions, Mipha leaped into the center of the room and sliced all of them with her Lightscale Trident. As a result, they were instantly killed.

"Thanks," Zelda said as a door opened nearby. "I'm surprised how good of a fighter you are despite your timidness."

"Well, I typically don't like to show off," Mipha responded. "But since we're doing this to save the Sages and Link, there's no reason for me to hold back."

Traversing through other parts of the palace, the three came into another room that had a large red jellyfish inside with multiple eyes floating in a gelatinous substance. While Ravio used the Hookshot to pull the eyes away and subsequently destroy them with his hammer, Mipha stabbed the jellyfish multiple times with the trident and Zelda shot it in its main eye with her remaining arrows. Once the red jellyfish was defeated, a door opened revealing a flight of stairs with water flowing down them. Ascending these, Zelda Ravio and Mipha came upon a chamber which contained a portrait depicting Queen Oren.

"Mother!" Mipha exclaimed, and stepped forward though Zelda held her back.

"Hold on," Zelda urged. "I don't know what will happen if you touch the portrait, since there's a chance you might get trapped just like your mother. So for the sake of precaution, let me touch it first since I've been able to successfully free two Sages so far with this method."

"All right," Mipha nodded. "Go ahead."

Then Zelda touched Oren's portrait and was transported to the Sacred Realm again. From the opposite end of Osfala and Irene appeared the mint-green Zora from the framed picture Mipha held only she was real.

"Your Grace," Zelda said as she bowed politely. "I'm Zelda, the daughter of Premier Rhoam."

"Ah, I thought you seemed familiar," the mint-green Zora known as Oren said in a soothing voice. "You were only a baby when we met, but I see you've grown into a beautiful young woman."

"So you were friends with my mother alongside Impa?"

"Yes, I was," Oren smiled in a reminiscent manner. "I remember one time when your mother brought you to Zora's Domain for your first swim, and my little girl Mipha did hers the same day. She picked up on it so fast, as most Zora do, but you were struggling so she helped you. It was then that your mother and I knew you were going to be good friends. But I digress…you must find the other Seven Sages if Link is to be saved along with both Hyrule and Lorule."

"How will you guys save him?" Zelda asked.

Oren placed a smooth hand on Zelda's cheek. "All will be revealed in due time, Zelda, though I sense troubled waters ahead on your journey. Just remember that your friends are there to help you, and tell my daughter that I'm safe."

"I will, Queen Oren," Zelda nodded and disappeared from the Sacred Realm.

After Zelda relayed Oren's message to Mipha, the two of them and Ravio found a circle of light and used it to transport themselves back to the palace entrance.

###

Emerging through the fissure, Zelda and Mipha were surprised to find Hylian and Zora Guards standing nearby. Then after Ravio came through, he used the bracelet to merge with the rock until he was opposite of Zelda and Mipha. Though Zelda saw him do this, she said nothing as the Guards approached them.

"Zelda, Princess Mipha," the Captain of the Hyrule Castle Guards said, addressing the young women. "We heard reports of Bokoblins hanging around here. Now since this was close to where Mipha made her last report, it was decided that my Guards and King Dorephan's would search for you two in case something happened."

"Well, as you can see we're both fine," Zelda assured the Captain. "In fact, I managed to save another Sage that just so happened to be Queen Oren."

Hearing that, the Zora Guards flinched.

"She's all right, according to Zelda," Mipha said quietly. "Like before, she is currently in the Sacred Realm with the other Sages that have been freed."

"I see," the Captain remarked. "But what exactly is them being in the Sacred Realm going to accomplish? Four individuals are still missing and these fissures haven't gone away."

"To be honest, I'm not sure what they're doing," Zelda admitted. "But they keep saying that they all have to be together in order to save Link."

"So you're saying the only way Link can be saved is if the other Sages are freed?" While Zelda nodded, the Captain paused and said, "Then what are we standing around here for? Let's find the next Sage already!"

To be continued…


	39. 39th Entry: Lorule Lake

39th Entry: Lorule Lake

After being escorted to Hateno Village, Zelda got a message from her father saying that Paya was heading to Lake Hylia in the Faron Province for the sake of finding the Sheikah Slate Runes Purah mentioned. This made Zelda concerned about Paya's safety, though Mipha had to return to Zora's Domain for the sake of keeping an eye on the fissures that opened there. So an armed escort of Hyrule Guards led by the Captain accompanied Zelda to Lake Hylia where a fissure was present nearby.

"So in your expeditions to this mirror world that is apparently called 'Lorule,' have you found any hostile beings that could traverse these fissures besides yourself and this Yuga guy?" The Captain asked Zelda as the escort of Guards was setting up camp for the night.

"I have found some hostile creatures, but I don't know if they can traverse the fissures," Zelda said. "Between each fissure point is this area with strange colors and blinding lights which can be disorienting. Fortunately, I've discovered if one walks in a straight line there's less of a chance to get lost. Now the only way I got Riju and Mipha through was that they held my hand, though I'm not sure if they would have made it on their own."

"So it would be unwise if I sent some of my men through it, since it's unclear if they could," the Captain realized. "And even if they did, there's a chance they might lose their way and end up somewhere else."

"Yes, I think we should be cautious about this," Zelda agreed.

"Very well," the Captain nodded. "We shall have you escort one of our Guards through the fissure tomorrow morning."

###

When the moon was high overhead, Zelda woke up after hearing unfamiliar footsteps. Reaching for her Royal Bow, she cautiously pointed an arrow at the entrance to her tent just as the footsteps seemed to stop there.

"Who is it?" Zelda asked.

" _It's me_ ," Ravio's voice whispered.

Zelda lowered the bow slightly. "What did you do to the Guards? The Captain posted two of them outside my tent before I went to sleep."

"Don't worry about it," Ravio claimed. "Sheerow's distracting them right now. Can I come in?"

"Sure," Zelda reluctantly said as Ravio entered the tent. "Did you follow me?"

"Um, kind of," Ravio answered. "Earlier today, when I got back to Hateno Village, I saw an old guy and a little girl standing outside my shop. Recognizing the old guy from the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, it occurred to me that they might've found out about me stealing the Paraglider. So I hightailed it here to lay low for a while, then your escort showed up so I hid myself until now."

Frowning, Zelda stated, "You know, I was willing to look past you stealing the Paraglider under the assumption that you would return it eventually. But since you ran away instead of dealing with the consequences, it's clear that you're nothing but a thief and a coward."

Taken aback, Ravio snapped, "Well, excuse me! If it weren't for my help, you'd be wandering around Lorule with no idea of where to find the Sages. And while I admit to being cowardly, my thieving only comes out of necessity. You know from our trips to Lorule how difficult things are over there right now."

"Yes, but that doesn't excuse you from doing the same things here."

"While Hyrule may be more civilized now, it won't be for long unless Yuga is stopped."

"All right, fine, let's go into the fissure and find the next Sage."

Before Ravio could protest, Zelda dragged him outside and they marched over to the fissure with Sheerow joining them. On the other side, they stood before a lake that was emerald-green instead of deep blue.

"This is Lorule Lake, the equivalent to Lake Hylia," Ravio said, then he pointed to a structure in the middle of the lake that was surrounded by a moat made of lava. "And that is Turtle Rock, where a Sage from Hyrule was once kept."

"So it would be safe to assume that one may be in there now," Zelda figured. Then she noticed a familiar white-haired girl standing on a patch of sand in the lake fighting off one-eyed amphibious creatures from a small turtle that was wiggling on its back. "Paya!"

In turn, the girl briefly looked up at Zelda before blocking a fireball launched by the amphibious creature with the Eightfold Blade. So Zelda used her Paraglider to sail onto the patch of sand while Ravio reluctantly followed. Using the green Tornado Rod, Ravio was able to confuse the amphibious creatures long enough for Zelda to shoot the creatures with her Royal Bow. Once they were down, she Ravio and Paya used their combined strength to flip the turtle back upright.

After it jumped into the water, it popped its head out and said, "Thanks, guys! Those Ku were being really mean to me."

"Ku?" Zelda repeated.

"They're the Lorule equivalent to the Zora," Ravio explained.

Meanwhile, the turtle seemed confused. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I gotta get back to my mama. If you happen to run into my other siblings, tell them to head back to mama, okay?"

Then the turtle swam away, leaving Zelda Paya and Ravio confused.

"How did you get into Lorule?" Zelda asked Paya.

"I don't know," Paya replied. "After I touched the fissure, I found myself in this weird place. Initially I was scared, but then this voice told me where to go and I ended up here."

"Did you recognize this voice?" Zelda inquired further. "Was it Impa?"

Paya shook her head. "It wasn't anyone I recognized, but it was female and she sounded nice. She said her name was Lana, I think."

Zelda flinched. "Did she say anything else?"

"That she was a Seer, who knew a great deal of things including how to safely navigate between the fissures between Hyrule and Lorule."

"A Seer…" Zelda muttered, recalling what Agahnim said about the Seer whose power created Calamity Ganon after Ganon's spirit manifested in Hyrule from an alternate timeline. Yet Zelda also remembered that Agahnim mentioned an evil half to the Seer who was supposedly in the Dark Land, which was the mirror version of the Sacred Realm, along with Ganon himself.

"Well, we should probably get into Turtle Rock," Ravio said, interrupting Zelda's train of thought. "The sooner we save that Sage, the sooner we can get out here."

"But shouldn't we find the turtle's siblings first?" Paya suggested. "They might be in danger too, or worse."

Ravio groaned. "We'll just be waisting time doing that."

"No, I agree with Paya on this one," Zelda argued. "The wind isn't strong enough for our Paragliders to reach the entrance to Turtle Rock. So maybe if we help the turtle find its siblings, we could ask their mother about how to get in safely."

Shaking his head, Ravio responded, "Fine. I'm only here because you made me."

"That's not true, though," Zelda claimed. "If you didn't want to be here, you could have just let me walk through the fissure on my own."

This made Ravio pause, scratch the back of his neck, and then say, "Um, let's look for those turtles, shall we?"

To be continued…


	40. 40th Entry: Turtle Rock

40th Entry: Turtle Rock

With the other two turtles found, Zelda Ravio and Paya swam over to an extremely large turtle that was just south of Turtle Rock. There, the three smaller turtles were clustered around it.

"Many thanks, young travelers," said the large turtle in a deep female voice. "You managed to find all my babies and they are thankfully unharmed. So as a reward for your bravery, I will take you anywhere in this lake with my babies' help."

Then the mother turtle dipped below the water while her children followed. A few seconds later, they emerged out of the lake together with the mother turtle below and the children stacked on top of her. As they began to move, Ravio immediately climbed onboard the turtles' back and grabbed Zelda's hand while she in turn held onto Paya's. The three climbed up to the top turtle and rode the turtles over to Turtle Rock. Once there, the three leaped onto a platform that stood before the moat of lava with the entrance to Turtle Rock beyond it.

"Now how do we get across?" Zelda wondered as a burst of fiery lava sprang from the moat.

"With this," Ravio stated, holding up a blue rod with a crystal at the end. "It's called an Ice Rod, and it can freeze just about anything for the rental price of 100 Rupees."

"Are you serious?" Zelda frowned. "Why is the rental price so high?"

"It's called inflation, Zelda," Ravio said cheekily. "Since you haven't bought any of the items I sell, it makes them less valuable so I have to hike up the rental prices in order to make them more valuable. Now do you have 100 Rupees or not?"

"Yes, I do," Zelda grumbled and handed Ravio a silver Rupee.

"Thank you," Ravio responded as he gave the Ice Rod to Zelda.

In turn, Zelda froze the next burst of fiery lava allowing Ravio to merge into it using the bracelet. Once Ravio was on the other side, Paya and Zelda waited until a third burst came along. This time Zelda froze it when it was high enough for her and Paya to walk on. From there, the three of them entered Turtle Rock.

Within, there were various chambers filled with lava and metal walkways. So Zelda used the Ice Rod to create platforms, which made traversing the chambers easier, while Ravio and Paya kept the various monsters inside at bay. Eventually, they activated a shell-shaped switch which lowered downward revealing a lower chamber beneath. The three jumped down, and landed on a metal platform hanging over a pool of lava with several giant holes in it. From the lava emerged a giant shell with fire bursting from it.

This in turn caused Zelda to use the Ice Rod to freeze the shell several times before it emerged onto the walkway. As it turned out, the shell belonged to a giant snapping turtle with purple eyes. While Paya attacked the turtle directly with the Eightfold Blade, Zelda immobilized it with the Ice Rod and Ravio assisted using his own arrows. Soon enough, the turtle perished and a slab of rock appeared from the lava pool revealing a portrait.

"Grandmother Impa!" Paya cried.

So Zelda approached the portrait without delay and touched it, which brought her into the Sacred Realm once more. Next to Irene appeared Impa, who seemed relieved.

"You must have endured a great deal to get this far, and without Link's help on top of that," Impa remarked. "Though as Hyrule faces the same threat from the legend of Lorule, you will have to endure more trials. Find the remaining Sages, and we will help you save Link. Also, assure my granddaughter Paya that I'm safe."

Zelda nodded in agreement and vanished. In a matter of seconds, she reappeared outside of Turtle Rock's entrance with Ravio and Paya standing nearby.

"What happened, Zelda?" Paya asked. "After you touched Impa's portrait, the whole room was covered in light. While Ravio and I ended up here, you were gone."

"I went to the Sacred Realm," Zelda explained. "Your grandmother is safe there."

"Thank the Goddess," Paya sighed.

"All right, so that means there's three more Sages left," Ravio remarked.

###

Back in Hyrule, Zelda and Paya emerged through the fissure at Lake Hylia while Ravio decided to use a different fissure from Lorule's side. Naturally, the Captain was surprised and so Zelda explained what happened without mentioning Ravio. Zelda then noticed Paya looked upset and walked over to her.

"Is something wrong?" Zelda inquired. "Do you miss your grandmother?"

"No, it's not that," Paya responded. "I just can't seem to find the Shrines that can activate these Sheikah Runes Purah installed. I'm not even sure if they're real anymore."

"But why would Purah give you these Runes if they couldn't be activated?" Zelda pointed out. "Remind me what the Runes are called."

"Magnesis, Stasis, Cryonis, and Remote Bombs," Paya repeated.

"Oh!" Zelda's eyes widened. "I think the Hero got those in the Shrines within the Great Plateau area, according to legend anyway."

"Really?" Paya reached into her pack and pulled out a Paraglider of her own. "Then I should get over there right away."

"Sorry, Miss Paya, but the Great Plateau area is off-limits if you recall," the Captain insisted.

"But I have to get those Runes!" Paya demanded. "Zelda's doing everything she can to save Link, so why can't I do the same?"

"Are these Runes you're seeking powerful enough to deal with whatever lies in Lorule?" The Captain questioned. "Though as far as I can tell, if it weren't for Zelda showing up you would've been trapped in Lorule indefinitely."

This made Paya look down in dismay, which made Zelda frown and clench her fist. Just then, Zelda's Sheikah Slate vibrated and so she answered it.

" _Hey, it's Yunobo,_ " said the nervous voice on the other end. " _I just wanted to let you know that I found Rosso's Ore Mine, and there's a fissure which hasn't been reported yet._ "

"Okay, I'm on my way," Zelda replied and put down the Sheikah Slate.

To be continued…


	41. 41st Entry: Ice Ruins

41st Entry: Ice Ruins

So while Zelda allowed Paya to explore the Great Plateau area under the Captain's supervision, she used Irene's enchanted broom to get to Rosso's Ore Mine. There, Yunobo was standing near the fissure he spoke of. Together, they went through and found themselves at the foot of a mountain with constant snow falling down.

"Welcome to Lorule's Death Mountain," Ravio said, emerging from a wall next to the fissure.

Surprised, Yunobo said, "W-Who're you?"

"Oh, this is Ravio," Zelda explained. "He's a merchant who's been guiding me through the mirror world of Lorule. Mipha and Paya were introduced to him before."

Yunobo regarded Ravio nervously. "Does he always cover his face up?"

"Unfortunately, yes," replied Zelda.

"And I would prefer to keep it that way," Ravio added. "Now follow me to the Ice Ruins. I think there's a Sage in there."

Further up the mountain, the three of them discovered a door with a gargoyle made of solid ice standing in front of the entrance. So Ravio rented the red Fire Rod to Zelda for 100 Rupees, and she in turn used it to melt the gargoyle. Inside, they found a statue with its metal tongue sticking out. Yunobo used his brute strength to pull it out, which made several platforms rotate in a circular downward direction.

Heading down, several ice-filled chambers were discovered which they were able to traverse with the Fire Rod and the Flamespear that Yunobo obtained from the Shrine near the Spring of Power. As they delved deeper into the mountain, though, there was a fiery core present beneath them. Yet there were icy platforms suspended in midair, which the three carefully treaded upon though Yunobo's weight made them break faster.

"I'm sorry," Yunobo apologized as soon as they reached a stone walkway. "Some Champion I turned out to be."

"You're doing fine," Zelda assured.

"But I ran away from those ice zombies and Wizzrobe-looking things," Yunobo claimed. "All I've been doing is pulling statues and using Daruk's Protection if enemies got too close. I'm not even worthy of this Flamespear."

"Even though you've made enemies back away using it," Ravio pointed out. "I mean, I'm a natural-born coward and you're less cowardly than I."

"You think so?" Yunobo looked down at the Flamespear. "My dad wouldn't think of using something like this, though. He'd just punch things with his bare fists instead."

So Yunobo tossed the Flamespear down into the chasm below as he Zelda and Ravio entered through a large door. On the other side, they came into hexagonal room with a strange tentacled creature that was black in color and had a single blue eyeball. It covered itself in ice and floated towards them.

Crying out loud, Yunobo backed away. "I shouldn't have dropped that Flamespear."

"Luckily for you, I don't believe in letting good items go to waste," Ravio said, revealing the Flamespear which was attached to his Hookshot. "Now go get it!"

Ravio tossed the Flamespear into the air, which Yunobo caught. While Yunobo threw the Flamespear at the tentacled creature, which melted the ice, Zelda assisted him with the Fire Rod. Once the ice melted completely, the tentacled creature limped away uselessly allowing Ravio to bash it up with his hammer. When it was gone, a pathway revealed itself to a platform that had Rosso's portrait on it.

"So what happens now?" Yunobo asked as they walked onto the platform.

"Well, I touch the portrait and the Sage goes to the Sacred Realm," Zelda said. "Hopefully, doing this will teleport us out of here which was the case with the last Sage I freed."

After Zelda touched Rosso's portrait, the red-haired Goron himself appeared in the Sacred Realm standing between Impa and Oren.

"Well, well," Rosso remarked. "Talk about unpredictable. It seems the designated Princess has rescued me instead of the Hero."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Zelda responded bitterly.

"I meant it as a compliment, Zelda," Rosso said, causing Zelda's eyes to widen. "Yeah, I've known about you for a long time. In fact, I knew I was a Sage before Lana spirited us away and had us deal with Agahnim. Just didn't think to ever mention it to Premier Rhoam or Impa, because I was so busy mining ore. Now go save the other Sages, Zelda, and make us proud!"

"Right," Zelda answered, smiling a little. "Thank you."

Vanishing from the Sacred Realm, Zelda found herself outside the entrance to the Ice Ruins alongside Yunobo and Ravio. Together, they made their way back down the mountain and went back through the fissure into Rosso's Ore Mine.

"So, um, Mister Ravio, what kind of material is that bracelet-thing made of?" Yunobo sporadically asked. "I don't think it's any kind of ore I've ever seen."

"That's because it's made from Master Ore," Ravio replied. "It's abundant in Lorule, and said to strengthen any kind of sword imaginable."

Remembering that Yuga referred to Ravio's bracelet as the 'Master Bracelet,' Zelda asked Ravio. "Are you familiar with the Master Sword?"

"Sure," Ravio said. "It's the Blade of Evil's Bane. Who hasn't heard of it?"

"Were you aware of it before or after coming to Hyrule?"

"Um, after…"

"Even though you seemed to know a great deal of things about Hyrule before coming here, along with Yuga. Were these more stories told by the Masked Elder, or someone else? And for that matter, how would anyone in Lorule know of Hyrule's existence if they exist separately?"

Ravio looked back and forth between Zelda and Yunobo, who seemed perplexed, before saying, "To answer your first question, my information about Hyrule came from Hilda and not the Masked Elder. For generations, her family has known about its existence but never revealed it to anyone minus a few exceptions such as myself."

"So how did Yuga find out?"

"He used the power of his scepter to eavesdrop on Hilda."

"And who is Hilda?" Yunobo abruptly asked.

"She's my counterpart from Lorule," Zelda answered.

After a pause, Ravio continued, "As for your second question, the reason Hilda's family knows about Hyrule's existence is because—

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in everyone's faces and Revali appeared.

To be continued…


	42. 42nd Entry: Skull Woods

42nd Entry: Skull Woods

"Hey, guys," Revali said as he dusted himself off. "Sorry I'm late to this 'Rescue Link' mission that seems to be going on according to Riju and Mipha. The Rito Village Elder has been sending me on reconnaissance flights across Hyrule to find any fissures that haven't been reported and I got wind that there may be one here."

"Well, you heard right," Zelda responded as she stood in front of Ravio. "In fact, Yunobo and I just went through it and rescued another Sage named Rosso. So that leaves us with two more Sages to find before we can properly save Link."

"Now why do you think saving these Sages will help Link?" Revali asked in a doubtful tone. "I mean, he's a been turned into a portrait too, right?"

"Yes, but the Sages I've saved so far have told me when they're all together they can do something to save Link," Zelda claimed. "Though they haven't told me what it is…"

Revali then looked past Zelda and noticed Ravio retreating further into the ore mine. "And who is your rabbit-eared friend?"

"Um, Ravio's my name," Ravio said nervously. "I'm a merchant by trade."

"He's from the world that the fissures go to, which is called Lorule, and has been helping us navigate through it to the Sages' locations," Zelda explained.

"And why is he helping you?" Revali stared at Ravio's bunny hood a long time. "I don't generally trust anyone whose eyes I can't see."

"There's a girl that Yuga has captured who is really important to him," Zelda claimed. "I agreed to help him save her in exchange for guiding me through Lorule."

Looking between Ravio and Zelda, Revali paused and said, "Well, if that's the case, I might be able to give you two a head-start on the next Sage's location. Recently, a fissure was claimed to be in the Lost Woods by the local Koroks in that area and I was going to go check it out after finding the one at Rosso's Ore Mine."

"Okay, Ravio and I will meet you there," Zelda decided and looked at Yunobo. "Will you be coming with us?"

"Um, n-no," Yunobo muttered. "I should probably stay here and report this fissure to my dad, but good luck in the Lost Woods."

"Thanks," Zelda smiled and took Yunobo's big hand in hers. "You were very brave in the Ice Ruins, and I greatly appreciated your help."

"Same here," Ravio added.

Hearing that, Yunobo smiled a little as Zelda hopped onto Revali's back and the two flew off. Meanwhile, Ravio used the Paraglider/Tornado Rod device he created to follow Zelda and Revali to the Lost Woods. As the name implied, it was heavily forested area with a strange mist covering the whole area. This in turn made it difficult for Revali to pick a landing spot, though Zelda was able to find a set of ancient ruins for them to land while Ravio followed after. Indeed, there was a fissure here which the three entered and found themselves in a similar forest that was dark-orange instead of dark-green with giant skeleton tunnels instead of hollow tree trunks.

"What is this place?" Revali wondered out loud. "Are we in Lorule right now?"

"Yep," Ravio nodded. "This is Skull Woods, Lorule's equivalent to the Lost Woods. Hardly anyone comes in here, due to all the monsters and ghosts that roam it, which would make it the perfect place to hide a Sage if I were Yuga."

"Equivalent to Lost Woods?" Revali repeated. "What are you talking about?"

As the three navigated the Skull Woods, Zelda explained to Revali about Lorule being a mirror version of Hyrule and how its history correlated to Hyrule's. As this was going on, Ravio kept nervously glancing around and jumping at shadows even while armed with a hammer.

"Will you stop that?" Revali insisted. "I find it hard to believe you were able to successfully guide Zelda to the other Sages if you're this much of a coward."

"It's just an act," Zelda claimed. "Ravio's more than capable of defending himself if need be."

"That may be true, though I generally avoid fighting," Ravio stated.

Entering a cave that had the head of a skull as its entrance, they found themselves in a crypt of sorts that was full of skulls and dark chasms. The place was naturally full of monsters, including giant hands that came down from the ceiling. Fighting these off, the three eventually found a pair of eye-shaped statues though one of them was missing a pupil. So they looked around till they found the missing pupil and placed it inside the second statue, which lowered a platform that had a big chest on it. Inside was a large golden key that unlocked a big door further down in the crypt. On the other side, Zelda Ravio and Revali encountered an enormous gauntlet-covered hand that had a giant eyeball in its center.

While Ravio used the bracelet to merge into the walls, the gauntlet-covered hand tried to punch him which only made it dizzy. This in turn allowed Zelda to shoot it with arrows from her Royal Bow, though this angered the hand enough to where it started smashing the ground leaving deep gaping holes in the floor. Fortunately, Revali was able to prevent Zelda from falling by carrying her on his back. So together they were able to attack the hand until it vanished, which revealed a hidden exit. Still merged into the wall, Ravio got to it first while Revali and Zelda followed. They soon came up onto the surface where a portrait depicting Seres stood, causing Zelda to touch it. Like the other times, she was taken to the Sacred Realm only this time Seres physically appeared next to Irene and Osfala.

"Ah, Zelda," Seres smiled gladly. "You saved me, didn't you?"

Zelda wasn't sure how to react. "Were you hoping it would be Link, since that seems to be how these things normally play out…"

Seres shook her head. "I would've been happy regardless if it was Link or you. Though what happened to Link was unfortunate, and I hope we Sages can save him together. My future prayers will go to you, Zelda, as you search for the last Sage."

Then Zelda was taken back to the place where she touched Seres' portrait, as Ravio and Revali were giving each other suspicious looks.

To be continued…


	43. 43rd Entry: Dark Palace

43rd Entry: Dark Palace

"Did something happen while I was away?" Zelda asked, catching Ravio and Revali's attention.

Revali looked initially surprised to see Zelda, then he glared back at Ravio. "After you vanished, I suspected Ravio tricked you into touching the portrait as part of some evil plan by Yuga even though he assured me that you'd be back soon from the Sacred Realm."

Zelda blinked. "Why did you think Yuga was involved?"

"Because Ravio mentioned him earlier, and so I thought maybe he was a spy for Yuga or something," replied Revali.

"Guess I can't blame you," Zelda said. "I too suspected the same thing, though if he was spying on us for Yuga it would make no sense for him to help us free the Sages since they're necessary to resurrecting Ganon."

"Yeah, that's right," Ravio concurred. "Now can we please go? I don't like being in the Skull Woods any longer than we need to be."

"Ugh, fine," Revali groaned.

Holding Revali by the wing, Zelda led him through the fissure back into the Lost Woods. There, Revali decided to report the fissure to the Rito Village Elder and flew off leaving Zelda by herself until Ravio showed up.

"I'm surprised you didn't come through sooner, given your earlier statement," Zelda remarked, giving Ravio a suspicious look.

"Well, these fissures aren't exactly the most consistent when it comes to time and space," Ravio claimed. "So while it may seem like I showed up later, I was actually right behind you and that bird guy the whole time."

Unsure of whether to believe Ravio or not, Zelda said, "So where do you think the last Sage is?"

"Probably the Dark Palace," Ravio guessed.

"And what's that?"

"It's an evil temple where a beast called the Gemesaur King lives, and it's protected by former soldiers of Lorule Castle who pledged their allegiance to him after Yuga made his terrible wish on Lorule's Triforce."

"But why would Lorule's soldiers do such a thing?"

"Since the Royal Family didn't stop Yuga from getting to Lorule's Sacred Realm, they were naturally blamed for what happened after. While some soldiers like the Captain's son stayed with the Royal Family, others aligned themselves to the Gemesaur King."

"I see, so how do we get to it from here?"

"As far as I know, there is no equivalent to the Dark Palace in Hyrule so we'll have to go back to the Skull Woods in Lorule first."

So Zelda and Ravio went back through the fissure and left the Skull Woods using their Paragliders. Flying over the deep chasms that were scattered throughout Lorule, they eventually came to the Dark Palace which was marked by an entrance with stone pillars. Inside, they found a dark cavern with a hedge maze and several soldiers wearing red crystals that seemed to illuminate whatever was in front of them. While Ravio used the bracelet to merge into the hedge maze walls to sneak past the soldiers, Zelda kept them distracted and outran them.

At the center of the maze, there was a temple which Zelda and Ravio entered. Seeing nothing but darkness except for the occasional shafts of light that came through barred windows, Ravio pulled out a lantern and illuminated it. From there, they navigated through several dark corridors with multicolored tiles and walked across invisible paths over deep holes. They soon entered a room, where a bunch of torches lit up and a giant lizard covered in armor and gems appeared.

"It's the Gemesaur King!" Ravio exclaimed. "He's much scarier than I imagined!"

"There's no time to worry about that now," Zelda responded, loading her Royal Bow with an arrow. "We need to defeat this thing!"

But every time Zelda fired an arrow, the lizard's armor and gems blocked it.

"I can't get through its armor," Zelda said. "Do you have bombs, Ravio?"

"Sure do," Ravio answered, pulling one out.

From a safe distance, Ravio threw the bomb at the Gemesaur King which caused several of its gems to shatter. After Ravio did this a few more times, the lizard's armor came off. The Gemesaur King then roared, causing the room to become dark as its eyes glowed yellow and a strange purple aura covered its body as it moved faster. Ravio immediately lit the nearest torches, which seemed to annoy the Gemesaur King allowing Zelda to finish it off with her remaining arrows. Once it was defeated, a portrait came down from the ceiling revealing it to be a small boy wearing a green vest and hat.

"It's Gulley," Zelda realized.

As Zelda touched Gulley's portrait, she was taken to the Sacred Realm again where the boy called Gulley appeared between Seres and Oren.

"H-Hey," Gulley said nervously. "You're Zelda, the Premier's daughter, right?"

"That's right," Zelda responded, smiling politely. "And you must be Gulley. I ran into your mother who was looking for you."

"She was?" Gulley looked around at the other Sages and seemed guilty. "Will you tell her that I'm okay, and I'll see her again after me and the other Sevensages have completed our task?"

"Of course," Zelda agreed. "Though I'm not sure what this task you speak of is."

"Now that we're all here, it is time to bestow upon you the Triforce of Courage," Impa stated. "In the past, the Hero received this when he rescued the Sages. But since Link was captured by Yuga, we will give it to you instead. From there, you must find a way into Lorule Castle and transfer it to Link's portrait so he may be freed from Yuga's spell."

"Sounds manageable, so long as Ravio agrees to help me," Zelda murmured out loud.

"And who's Ravio?" Irene asked.

"He's a merchant from Lorule who's been helping me rescue you guys in exchange for helping him rescue my Lorulean counterpart Hilda," Zelda explained.

"Has he told you why rescuing Hilda is important?" Osfala inquired.

"Lorule's King ordered him to bring her back, after she left to deal with Yuga," Zelda said.

Oren looked doubtful. "But why would the King of Lorule send a mere merchant to go after his daughter instead of a Knight or a Guard? Unless…"

"Look, we're wasting time thinking about this," Rosso pointed out. "Let's give the Triforce of Courage to Zelda, since time's running out for Hyrule and Lorule."

The Sages looked at each other, and then the room suddenly shifted creating a flight of stairs that led all the way up to a platform with a golden triangle hovering over it.

"Whoever this Ravio person is, I hope he will continue to provide aid in the final stretch of your journey," Seres said to Zelda. "And may the Goddess smile upon you, Zelda."

Nodding firmly, Zelda made her way up the staircase and reached out to the Triforce of Courage which absorbed itself into her hand. Now, there were two triangles glowing on Zelda's right hand instead of one and she felt strangely more powerful than before. Then as the Sacred Realm vanished, she found herself standing outside the Dark Palace with Ravio next to her and a horde of Lorule soldiers pointing their spears at them.

To be continued…


	44. 44th Entry: Lorule Castle

44th Entry: Lorule Castle

Using the Tornado Rod, Ravio was able to confuse the Lorule soldiers long enough to drag Zelda out of the hedge maze and outside. From there, Zelda explained what the Seven Sages told her to Ravio who looked nervous.

"Did they tell you how they knew Link was turned into a portrait?" Ravio asked.

"No, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lana somehow communicated with them even when they were portraits," Zelda figured.

"And who is this 'Lana' you speak of? I know you mentioned her a while back."

"I'm not sure who she is myself. Now let's get to Lorule Castle so we can rescue Link and Princess Hilda."

"Uh, right," Ravio said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Is something wrong?" Zelda asked.

"Nothing," Ravio responded, and took off in his Tornado Rod/Paraglider device.

Zelda followed after him using her Paraglider, and the two of them made their way to a large castle that was surrounded by chasms on all sides. Unlike Hyrule Castle, the tiles were purple instead of blue and from the torches burned multicolored flames.

"Looks like Yuga's done some redecorating since I was last here at Lorule Castle," Ravio noted.

Walking across the bridge that ran over the chasms, Zelda and Ravio cautiously walked through the doors. To their surprise, the place was devoid of monsters let alone Guards.

"This seems too easy," Zelda remarked. "I would think Yuga would have more security."

"Maybe he's so confident that he thinks no one would dare attack him," Ravio suggested.

"But surely he must've learned about my liberation of the Seven Sages at this point, and may have set up an ambush in case I came here."

"You would think that, though even wisdom has its limits."

Before Zelda could question Ravio, he directed the Tornado Rod at her which made her dizzy to the point of passing out.

###

When Zelda woke up, she was in a circular throne room with two portraits on the wall opposite of her. One she recognized as Link, and the other resembled herself only with long dark hair red eyes wearing a purple blouse gray pants and black boots. It was then that Zelda noticed her feet weren't touching the ground, and realized Ravio was carrying her.

"I'm sorry, Zelda, but I have to do this," Ravio muttered and seized Zelda's right hand.

Though Zelda tried to resist, she saw one of the triangles from the Triforce symbol on her hand leave and hover over Ravio's right hand which glowed with an upside-down Triforce symbol.

"So I wasn't imagining things," Zelda realized. "You also possess a piece of Lorule's Triforce."

"Correct," answered Ravio. "I was gifted with the Triforce of Guile, and it's the Triforce of Wisdom's equivalent in Lorule."

Just then, a circular pattern appeared on the floor and a giant creature emerged. It resembled a pig with purple skin and orange dreadlocks trailing from the top of its head.

" **Excellent work, Ravio,** " the creature said in a voice that resembled Yuga's only with a more sinister edge to it. " **I see you brought the Triforce of Wisdom as I ordered.** "

"Ordered?" Zelda looked up at Ravio angrily. "Since when?"

" **Before his rendezvous with you near the Ice Ruins, Ravio was approached by yours truly, Yuga-Ganon,** " the creature explained to Zelda.

"He said he would free Princess Hilda and Link if I gave him the Triforce of Wisdom," Ravio stated. "But I knew you wouldn't agree to it, Zelda, so I said nothing about the deal."

Zelda gritted her teeth. "Why, you—

" **As for my new look, it turned out Princess Hilda was partially right,** " Yuga-Ganon continued. " **She gave me what I needed to partially revive Ganon, though it wasn't her Sealing Power but her Triforce of Kindness. Then combined with my Triforce of Ambition, I was able to attract the Triforce of Power along with Ganon's spirit. Afterwards, Ganon and I merged using the power of the Sages before I sent them off to the locations you liberated them from, Zelda. But while I don't need the Sages anymore, I still require the Triforce of Wisdom to fully resurrect Ganon. So, Ravio, if you please.** "

While Yuga-Ganon held his giant monstrous hand out, Ravio hesitated.

"Not until you free Link and Hilda first," Ravio insisted.

Yuga-Ganon clenched his fist. " **Sorry, boy, but you're not in a position to bargain. Now hand over the Triforce of Wisdom, or I shall take it from you by force!** "

Ravio then abruptly dropped Zelda and thrust the Triforce of Wisdom into his chest. A bright light briefly radiated from his body as he took out his hammer and charged at Yuga-Ganon. In response, Yuga-Ganon thrust a large golden trident at Ravio with enough force to knock him down. As Ravio's rabbit-shaped hood fell off, Zelda beheld a face that was all too familiar: it was Link's, only his hair was black and his eyes were green.

"So you were…Lorule's equivalent…to Link?" Zelda felt completely numb as Yuga-Ganon approached Ravio and waved a hand over him.

Not only did the Triforce of Wisdom emerge from Ravio's chest but also an upside-down triangle from his right hand. Once these two triangles were absorbed into Yuga-Ganon's body, black thorns suddenly covered his legs and wrists while his skin became a darker shade of purple.

" **Foolish Ravio,** " Yuga-Ganon remarked. " **It seems all that time with Zelda gave you a little courage, though I think you were better off as a coward. With the complete Lorule Triforce and two of Hyrule's Triforce pieces in my possession, I am one step closer to becoming a God! All that's left for me to take is the Triforce of Courage and the Sealing Power I sense coming from you, Zelda.** "

Zelda then got to her feet and loaded an arrow into her Royal Bow. She fired it at Yuga-Ganon, though he just blocked the arrow with his thorn-covered wrist.

" **Is that all you've got?** " Yuga-Ganon chuckled. " **I thought you might try to seal me away right now, unless…you haven't unlocked your Sealing Power yet?** "

As Yuga-Ganon roared with laughter, Zelda backed into the doors leading into the throne room only to discover they were locked. Then the Triforce symbol glowed on Zelda's right hand, and she thought she saw the silhouette of a blue-haired woman appear right in front of her.

To be continued…


	45. 45th Entry: A Different Kind of Hero

45th Entry: A Different Kind of Hero

"Who are you?" Zelda asked, staring at the blue-haired woman's silhouette in confusion.

" _My name is Lana_ ," the blue-haired woman said in a kind tone. " _I'm the one who placed the Triforce Shards the crystals the East Lomei Labyrinth and the Desert Palace in Hyrule. Plus, I've been guiding the Seven Sages even when they were turned into portraits by Yuga._ "

"Okay, but that doesn't answer my main question," Zelda responded. "How do you have that kind of power, and why have I never seen you in the Sacred Realm along with the other Sages?"

" _All will be explained in due time,_ " Lana claimed and held out her hands where a bright light flashed. " _But for now, you must save Link and defeat Yuga-Ganon._ "

As the light died down, Zelda noticed Lana's silhouette was gone and she was now holding a golden bow with matching arrows.

"This is…the Bow of Light," Zelda realized. "I've seen images of this throughout the _Hyrule Historia_ , wielded by the Princess who aided the Hero."

" **Who're you talking to?** " Yuga-Ganon demanded, hiding his confused expression with an angry frown.

"No one," Zelda claimed and loaded one of the golden arrows into the matching bow before pointing it at Yuga-Ganon. "Though let's put these arrows to the test."

Seeing the Bow of Light, Yuga-Ganon flinched and merged into the wall behind him. In response, Zelda did the same after taking the bracelet off of Ravio who had been knocked unconscious by Yuga-Ganon's earlier attack. She then proceeded to fire Light Arrows at Yuga-Ganon, who was knocked back by each one until he merged out of the wall looking exhausted. So Zelda took this opportunity to touch Link's portrait which restored him to his three-dimensional form. As this happened, the Triforce of Courage passed from Zelda's right hand to Link's. Without hesitating, Link took out the Master Sword and plunged it into Yuga-Ganon's chest which made him roar in pain.

Afterwards, he retreated into the wall which forced Zelda to do the same. Hitting Yuga-Ganon with a few more Light Arrows, Zelda drove him back out of the wall which allowed Link to attack him with the Master Sword again. This time, Yuga-Ganon not only roared more loudly but he also disappeared in a flash of purple light. Once this was over, Link went to check on Ravio while Zelda walked over to the second portrait that was beside Link's.

"Hilda," Zelda said to the image of herself but with dark hair and red eyes. "You're free now."

Then Zelda touched the portrait, followed by a cold-blue light, and then her doppelgänger stood in the flesh wearing a blouse that was purple instead of blue with gray pants and black boots instead of brown ones. For a moment, Hilda seemed baffled and then she looked past Zelda's shoulder and saw Ravio lying next to Link.

"Ravio!" Hilda cried, kneeling beside Ravio. "What are you doing here?"

"He was apparently sent by your father to bring you back," Zelda said. "And he helped me navigate Lorule to rescue the Seven Sages, before trying to negotiate the Triforce of Wisdom for you and Link's freedom. But Yuga-Ganon wouldn't allow it, and knocked him out."

"He…did that?" Hilda's eyes became teary, which she quickly wiped away. "But he's such a coward, even if he was chosen by the Master Bracelet."

"You mean this?" Zelda removed Ravio's bracelet and held it up, causing Hilda to flinch. "Is it Lorule's equivalent to the Master Sword?"

"In a way," Hilda replied. "Unlike the Master Sword, which binds evil indefinitely, the Master Bracelet merely absorbs evil's power. Still, our Hero was able to use it to his advantage in his multiple incarnations just like your Hero did with his Master Sword."

While Link looked at the Master Sword with awe, Zelda asked, "So how do you know about Hyrule's history?"

"It's Loriae's Curse," Hilda said. "I'll explain more once we get to Lorule's Sacred Realm."

Pressing her hands together, Hilda closed her eyes which bathed the room in the same cold-blue light. Soon, Zelda Link Ravio and Hilda were standing on a pathway leading up to a glowing upside-down Triforce symbol with dark clouds overhead and a deep chasm beyond it.

"Before Hyrule was a kingdom, it was a land plagued by demons and warfare," Hilda began. "The only thing that kept the people safe was the Triforce, and the Goddess Hylia who protected it. But fearing the Demon King Demise would try to take the Triforce for himself, Hylia made a decision which turned out differently here in Lorule. While Hylia sent the people into the skies and gave up her immortality to seal Demise away, her counterpart Loriae forced them underground and sealed Demise within herself.

"But to make sure Demise wouldn't be released, Lorule's Goddesses Tumuh Suimin and Chinjeol removed Loriae's immortality while cursing her with the knowledge of Hyrule. Since then, every incarnation of Loriae knows about Hyrule including myself. Then after Yuga learned of it, he used the scepter to create a fissure at the graveyard near the Temple of Time. Naturally, I followed him because it was my fault that he learned of Hyrule. Though I wasn't strong enough to face him alone, even with my Sealing Power, I'll set things right. Zelda, will you give me the Master Bracelet?"

Nervously, Zelda handed the bracelet to Hilda who put it on her left wrist. Next, she turned towards the upside-down Triforce symbol and concentrated. Meanwhile, Ravio woke up and was helped to his feet by Link.

"Thanks," Ravio said. "Guess we both have a lot to learn in terms of what it means to be a hero. I mean, Zelda ended up saving you instead of the other way around while I ended up being braver than usual. Maybe it's a sign that things are changing..."

In response, Link said nothing.

As a multicolored aura appeared around Hilda, she turned back to Zelda. "I should be able to use the last of the Master Bracelet's power to send you and Link back home, as well as close all the fissures in Hyrule."

"But what about Lorule's fate?" Zelda asked.

"Don't worry," Hilda smiled. "Ravio and I will undo Yuga's wish using Lorule's Triforce, so Lorule will be restored to its former glory."

"Well, good luck, Link," Ravio said as he shook Link's hands vigorously. "May you be the best protector Zelda can hope for, because she sure is worth saving!"

"Yes," Hilda agreed, and placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "And given how much you went through, Zelda, it's only a matter of time before your own Sealing Power awakens."

Then Link stood next to Zelda, and the two held hands as Hilda used the Master Bracelet's power to transform them into painted versions that drifted off into the skies above Lorule's Triforce.

To be continued…


End file.
